Fate Demon Fox
by ZEREF
Summary: Slowly, I recovered from the light. The first thing I saw was several orbs of light hovering around my Servant. She had pink hair done in short twintails, a pair of fox ears and a fluffy fox tail. She was wearing a blue, traditional ero-kimono, geta and a mirror on a necklace around her neck. And she was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. "I ask of thee, thou art my Master?"
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Prologue**

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night

* * *

I walked through the corridors of my massive household without any particular destination in mind. Right now, I was just waiting for grandfather to call for me.

"Kousuke-sama."

I turned around to see Sayuri, one of the maids working in the household and the one in charge of me since I was little. She was only six years older than me, but her mother helped my mother watch over me when I was a child and Sayuri gradually took over as she grew up.

"What is it, Sayuri?"

"Yamakotsu-sama says that the preparations are complete and has requested for your presence."

"Alright, got it. Thanks Sayuri, you should go take a break."

Sayuri smiled and bowed.

"Thank you, Kousuke-sama."

After watching her leave, I turned in the opposite direction and started walking.

Before I go any further, perhaps I should introduce myself. I am Yagami Kousuke, future 13th head and the heir of the Yagami family. The Yagami family are an ancestral family of Japanese magi, and we have been in existence for at least 500 years. However, our family has existed before those 500 years as swordsmen, and it was only when the head of the family at that time, 500 years ago learnt and developed his own style of Thaumaturgy from scratch was where our family line truly began.

Despite being such an ancestral magi family, the Magus Association takes little notice of us for two reasons. The first was because Western magi generally look down upon us Eastern magi. The second was because our family does not possess a Magic Crest. That's right, we don't have one. Almost all our Thaumaturgy is recorded on scrolls and books as well as by blood, word of mouth and teachings from the elders. That is one of the reasons our family has grown so large, since our Thaumaturgy is easily passed down to the next generation of magi. In fact, I could scour the whole mansion and find a Yagami that has barely any relation to me. Another advantage of not having a Magic Crest is that we can be more 'creative' in our usage of Magecraft. If we wanted to, we could try to invent more styles of Yagami family Magecraft, but we usually stick to two collections of 99 spells invented by the 1st head, since they are extremely useful and versatile.

Another interesting trait of our family is that we have produced the largest number of Average Ones in a single magi family to date (probably). Any magus born in my family has a good chance of being an Average One, and even if they weren't, there was a high chance of them having an uncommon elemental alignment, usually affected by their Origin.

However, despite our stellar bloodlines, never once has a magus in our family been selected to participate in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War founded by the Einzbern, Makiri and Tohsaka families for the past 200 years. So, imagine the excitement in the family when one morning I woke up with three Command Spells in the shape of a mitsudomoe on the back of my right hand.

And thus, preparations for my participation in the Grail War began. For the past month, the whole family had been busy in a frenzied rush, making preparations. And the most ridiculous part was, I wasn't even allowed to help at all. From the drawing of the summoning circle to the preparation of the catalyst, I wasn't even allowed to do anything. So I just practiced my swordsmanship and Magecraft for the past month, making sure I was completely prepared and in top form.

As for the catalyst, I would be using a family treasure that has been kept for centuries. A large shard of stone from the Sesshoseki, which was rumoured to kill anyone who touches it (which made me wonder how my ancestors handled it in the first place). After it was destroyed, most of the fragments transformed into kitsune and inari, but not all of them. And with it, I was going to summon one of Japan's Three Great Monsters, who was also a facet of Amaterasu.

If the latter was true, then my Servant's power would definitely increase. Other than the fact that my Servant would be summoned and fighting on Japanese soil, my family are actually very distant descendants of Amaterasu. However, it was never very prominent, even in the first head and founder of the family. And after our family's blood had mixed with 'another' blood somewhere about 300 years ago, that blood grew even fainter. I won't go into details about that 'another' blood though, I'll leave that for another time.

Finally, I slid open the door aside as I reached the large, darkened room.

"Kousuke…you have arrived?"

My grandfather, Yagami Yamakotsu, sat to the side of the wall with a few other prominent members of the family, including my parents, Yagami Fugaku and Mikoto, but excluding my sisters.

"Yes, ojii-sama, otou-sama."

"Good. Now get into position and I shall tell you when to begin."

I turned and walked to the large summoning circle in the middle of the room, drawn with the donated blood of the most important members of the family, including myself. As I waited for grandfather's instructions, I looked at myself. I was dressed in the traditional garb of the family's head. A black men's kimono and a scarlet haori which had my family crest, a black mitsudomoe on its back.

"Kousuke, you may begin."

I lifted my right hand in front of me as my Command Spells started glowing. Gradually, small gusts of wind started blowing in the enclosed room. Activating all of my high quality Magic Circuits, I began chanting the incantation used for summoning a Servant. Not in English or German, but in Japanese.

"so ni gin to tetsu. so ni ishi to keiyaku no taikou. so ni wa waga daishi Schweinorg.

oritatsu kaze ni wa kabe wo. shihou no mon wa toji, oukan yori ide, oukoku ni itaru sansaro wa junkan seyo.

tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase).

kurikaesu tsudo ni godo.

tada, mitasareru toki wo hakyaku suru.

-tsugeru.

nanji no mi wa waga moto ni, waga unmei wa nanji no ken ni.

seihai no yorube ni shitagai, kono i, kono kotowari ni shitagau naraba kotae yo.

chikai wa koko ni. ware wa tokoyo subete no zen to naru mono, ware wa tokoyo subete no aku wo shiku mono.

nanji sandai no kotodama wo matou shichiten, yukushi no wa yori kitate, tenbin no mamorite yo!"

The circle glowed a bright red as I poured more and more of my prana into in as I turned the imaginary faucet inside me to the limit. I had to do this summoning perfectly, for I wouldn't just be fighting for myself, for the pride of the whole family!

"—"

I muttered something under my breath to prevent the others from hearing it. As my prana output experienced a sudden, massive spike, a bright flash appeared in the summoning circle at that very moment.

"!"

Slowly, my eyes recovered from the blinding light. The first thing I saw was several orbs of light hovering around my Servant. She had pink hair done in short twintails, a pair of fox ears and a fluffy fox tail. She was wearing a blue, traditional ero-kimono, geta and a mirror on a necklace around her neck. And she was absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful.

As the orbs of light faded away, I walked towards my Servant and as she opened her eyes, I was instantly captivated by them.

"I, Servant Caster, have answered your call. I ask of thee…art thou my Master?"

Slowly, I lowered myself to one knee to kneel on it before my Servant, much like a knight would. All the others were also bowing from their seats, but in the Japanese style.

"Yes. I, Yagami Kousuke, future 13th head and next heir of the Yagami family have summoned you, Servant Caster, Tamamo-no-Mae as my Servant.

XXX

That night, I sat in my room, thinking of what to pack. I would be leaving the day after tomorrow, because apparently my family were going to throw me a celebratory party tomorrow night and give me support, something like that. Right after I summoned Caster, I sank to the floor in exhaustion from exertion and spending too much prana, and I had to be helped back to my room to recover. During that period, grandfather and the others in the room requested an audience from Caster. It has been an hour since then. Suddenly, I heard three knocks as someone knocked on the wooden frame of my sliding door.

"Enter.'

The door slid open as Tamamo bounded into my room and bounced onto my bed. I sat in a more formal way and faced her.

"I'm done, goshuujin-sama! Those old geezers just wouldn't stop talking, but it was some important stuff, so I guess it can't be helped! Nice room you have!"

Well, it was. Despite the fact that the mansion was as traditional as it could get, almost every single room belonging to the current generation was significantly modern. My room for example, had a double bed, a desk with laptop and schoolbooks, a small flat-screen TV under the desk which I use for games, a DVD player to go with the TV, an air-conditioner, some posters on the walls, and two bookshelves full of books, manga, anime DVDs and figurines. Yes, I admit, I'm a bit of an otaku, but not the creepy kind. I just like anime, that's all.

"Thank you, Tamamo-sama."

Caster stared at me.

"You're calling me that too? Is everyone in this mansion this formal? What year is it?"

"Well, I expect ojii-sama told you about our family and our roots?"

"Yeah, and?"

"Then you know that we are incredibly distant, but still descendants of Amaterasu. Since you're a facet of Amaterasu, you're our ancestor and my whole family reveres you with utmost respect."

As I said that, Tamamo grew a bit sad.

"But I don't want to be revered, I just want to be treated normally…"

"Pardon?"

"Ah! Don't worry, goshuujin-sama! Forget what I just said, ahaha!"

"Tamamo-sama, just call me Kousuke. No matter how it may seem, I am not worthy of being your Master."

Honestly, although I did respect her, I was actually a bit afraid of her, because, well…I'm not a very social person. Excluding my family, I tend to stay away from other people, and don't have many friends either. Also, since I attend and all boys school, I've grown really, really nervous around girls and women. I usually don't even dare to look at them. So, it was easier for me to treat Tamamo like a revered ancestor instead of a normal female or even a Servant.

"Mou, what are you saying! Fine, but if you want me to call you that you have to call me Caster or Tamamo! Without the -sama!"

"Alright, I understand, Tamamo."

"Good, now sit on the bed."

I sat on the bed, facing Tamamo. She cleared her throat.

"Right now, I want to work out the ground rules for the war, and you are to obey them completely, understood?"

"Yes."

"Good! I have two orders. First, you shall start treating me like an ordinary person!"

…what?

"Tama-"

"Second! Stop treating me formally! Honestly, I can't stand all these formalities! So you shall just act like I'm just like your family, or your wife, got it!"

I sighed. There wasn't really any other way to handle her I guess.

"Ok, fine. I'm looking forward to working with you, Tamamo."

I stretched my hand out for a handshake, but instead she threw herself at me and wrapped me in a tight hug.

"Yaay! I promise I'll be a good wife to you, Kou~su~ke!"

"Wha-"

Suddenly someone knocked on the door and Sayuri poked her head in.

"Kousuke-sama, dinner is ready."

Then she caught sight of Tamamo on top of me on the bed. There was a moment's silence, and slowly, the door closed.

"I'm very sorry to have interrupted…"

"Wait! No! This isn't what it looks like! Sayuriiiiiii!"

XXX

The next day passed with me getting more acquainted with Tamamo. Other than talking about each other, we also began making plans for the war. Strategy is one of the most important facets of war, one which I admittedly had not really studied. Most of the strategies I know of are from Dynasty Warriors, Samurai Warriors and Warriors Orochi, but these were for full-scale warfare, not one-on-one battles. Soon, night rolles around, and I donned my traditional clothes once more. Then, I led Tamamo to the main hall.

"Where are going now, Kousuke?"

"We're having my leaving ceremony."

"Let me guess, more formal stuff?"

I smiled.

"Haha, nope."

I slid open the doors and was instantly greeted with loud bursts of noise, laughter and singing. Most of the family were already present. Everyone was partying and generally having a good time. Maids and shikigami were rushing around bringing adults beer and sake and as for the kids, juice and soda. Food was also being devoured at a frantic rate. Heck, the party even spilled out into the main compound. My family could be really formal at times, but damn, they sure knew how to party.

"Oi, Kousuke's here!"

"You're late!"

"Tamamo-chan too!"

"We are so going to win the war!"

"Nii-san, over here!"

Recognizing that one voice over all the others, Tamamo and I made our way to the head of the room where my sisters were.

"It's great that you got chosen, Kousuke!"

"Thanks, aneue."

That was Yagami Ayumi, my sister who was 3 years older than me and eldest in the family. She was the only member of my siblings who did not have sufficient Magic Circuits to become a magus. However, instead of forcing herself to learn Magecraft, she willingly withdrew from the world of magi and leads a normal life. Unlike other magi families, we don't look down upon or mistreat family members who have no magic potential. We treat them like normal family members and love them just as much.

"Great job, onii-san! Make sure you kick everyone's butts in the war!"

And that was my younger twin sister, Yagami Kousuki. With a 'Storm' element (we classify elements differently in our family), she was an exceptional magus in her own right, although her skills with the sword are not as good as mine though. Just then, I felt a tug at my sleeve.

"Onii-chan."

Ah, that was Yagami Kanade, my younger sister by one year. She was an oddity in my family, because she had albinism. Instead of black hair and eyes most of us had, she has long white hair and amber eyes. Her Magic Circuits, although not as good as mine or Kousuki's, were still of good quality. But, her body was weaker than normal, which resulted in our family physician deciding that Kanade should not engage in swordplay, but just a little normal sword practice to keep her healthy.

"Good luck."

I smiled. Kanade was always quiet and shy. When we were little, she would just follow me wherever I went. She still does it now, sometimes.

"Ok, I guess almost everyone's here."

I stood up and raised my sakazuki. Instantly, the whole room fell quiet as everyone focused on me.

"Everyone, I only have one thing to say. We are going to win this war!"

The moment those words left my lips, the whole room erupted in raucous cheering, three times louder than before. Brimming with confidence and excitement, my leaving ceremony began.

XXX

-Caster-

-The next day-

Today was the day we would leave for Fuyuki. Yesterday night was fun. Everyone ate, drank, sang bad karaoke and enjoyed themselves. And after that I crawled into Kousuke's bed and tried to get into his pants, but he woke up and shoved me off while yelling. It was so much fun, it was just like I was alive again.

"Goshuujin-sama, where are you? Mou…"

I was wandering through the whole compound, looking for my Master who disappeared a few minutes ago. Now, I had arrived at the back of the mansion.

"Ah, there he is! Kousu…ke?"

I saw the back of my Master, and he was standing in a …graveyard? Silently, I made my way to Kousuke's side and faced the grave he stood in front of.

"Yagami…Kenji."

"He was my older brother by five years," started Kousuke. "He was an incredible magus and swordsman. I respected and looked up to him. He was the best older brother ever. Kind and caring, but strict when it comes to training. In fact, if he did not help me in my swordsmanship and thaumaturgy training when I was little, I doubt my skills would be as good as they are now."

"I see…"

"Kenji nii-sama would have been the family head instead of me, but then…the incident happened."

"…what happened?"

"I was 8 and he was 13. There was a report that a vampire, a Dead Apostle had taken refuge in a nearby apartment building. Onii-sama insisted on investigating, but everyone refused. In the end, he sneaked out at night to go there, and I followed him. He found me out real quick though, but in the end he let me follow. When we arrived we ran into the vampire's minions, Ghouls. Kenji killed all of them with my help. When we reached the top, Kenji suddenly bound me with a Bakudō spell and I watched from the corner as he fought the Dead Apostle. In the end, Kenji nii-sama won by a hair's breadth, and he was completely exhausted. As his spell wore off, I was about to run to his side when suddenly, 'it' appeared."

"What?"

"An Apostle Ancestor. At least, that's what he claimed to be."

"What?! No!?"

"In that instant, Kenji nii-sama stood up again. He told me to run home as fast as I could to inform the adults. Then, I had to run to the nearby Christian church and tell them about the incident, which I found strange at that time, but it sort of made sense. They have exorcists and holy water, I thought. But when I was halfway home, the whole top half of the apartment exploded."

Kousuke stopped for a while. Then, he continued.

"When we went back there, we found Kenji nii-sama's body amidst the rubble, and miraculously with no bite marks. So, we brought him back and gave him a proper burial.

He fell silent.

"So…is your wish for the Grail to bring him back?"

"No…I have long accepted the fact that Kenji nii-sama is dead. There is no point in doing so. Since childhood, I have also believed that it is taboo to bring the dead back to life. However, I swore over onii-sama's grave that with my own two hands, I will find that Ancestor and kill it until it is nothing but ash."

I looked at my Master in awe. Right now, the Kousuke I was seeing was completely different from the one I knew. This was a man full of determination, someone who would do anything to reach his goal.

"Tamamo…let's win this war."

"Yes, I'll do my best! I promise I'll be a good wife to you!"

"A good wife huh…I guess that isn't too bad."

Suddenly, I blinked as a hand came down and rubbed my head. I looked at my Master to see him smiling at me.

"Let's go, Caster. We have a war to fight!"

"Yes, Master!"

* * *

Aaaaaaaaaaaand so it's done! A fluffy fanfic of epic proportions! Tamamo really needs more love in my opinion! In the form of fanfics and doujins, of course! I'll try to squeeze out more, but I really have a lot more to work on, counting this I have five active fics and two potential fics in the making! Well, that's all for now, capitalism, ho!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Day 1**

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night

* * *

-Kousuke-

-Train-

"The human world really has changed a lot…"

I looked to my right to see Tamamo gazing out of the window. We had boarded the train for Fuyuki in the morning and we were now headed there. Although many people would have assumed Tamamo was cosplaying, I got her to wear a set of normal clothes (which she willingly did) to attract less attention, since I knew she didn't want to go into her spirit form. And now, wearing a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of jeans, she had also hidden her ears and tail as well as let her hair down. She suddenly looked so…human, than I couldn't stop thinking of her as one.

"The next stop is, Fuyuki, Fuyuki. The next stop is Fuyuki, Fuyuki."

Hearing the announcement, I put my Hadō spellbook away. Of course, all of the family's ancient texts on Magecraft were recorded on scrolls. My grandfather took the liberty to demand that all non-forbidden Magecraft were to be recorded digitally and printed into convenient handbooks for the ease of the newer generation as well as to make learning Magecraft more interesting. Who wants to study by poring over tons of dusty scrolls and heavy books anyway.

"Come on, get up, the train will be arriving soon."

"Hai~"

Soon, the train alighted. Grabbing our luggage, we left the train, then the station and started walking.

"So, where will we be staying, Master?"

Before coming here, I told Tamamo that she had to refer to me as Master and I had to refer to her as Caster the second we set foot in this city. Secrecy is everything.

"I considered two places, both of which my family have some connections to. The first is the Fujimura yakuza family, but I didn't choose that one. There was a third, but because of the man's death, we no longer considered it. Instead, we'll be staying at the Ryuudouji. The main reason is that it's located right on top of one of Fuyuki's main leylines. Perfect for you to make your temple."

"I see. Master really thought this out!"

"Of course I did."

-Ryuudouji-

The second both of us stepped within the boundaries of the hill, we could instantly feel massive flows of prana.

"Can you feel it, Master?"

"Yes."

"It's interesting. The hill actually has its own Bounded Field. What it essentially does is it denies any form of spiritual being from entering its boundaries. However, the only break in the field is the stairs, which means-"

"-Servants can only reach the temple by climbing the stairs."

"Exactly. But I think that once I meld my own Bounded Field with it and it has accepted me, I should be able to bypass the hill's Bounded Field."

"You can do that?"

"Umu…now that I'm further in, I think it won't be easy. Even now I can feel a faint force pushing me back, but because of who I actually am, it seems to be letting me in a bit more."

"Local legend says that a dragon sleeps in the lake behind the temple. Maybe if we appease it?"

"Ehehe, Master can be silly sometimes, there's no dragon here. Even if there were, it would be long gone by now."

After some time, we reached the top of the temple. There, we saw a young man with dark blue hair and glasses sweeping the compound.

"Excuse me, are you a monk here?"

He stopped sweeping and looked at us.

"Actually, I'm a monk in training. But never mind that, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for the head monk. He should be informed of our arrival?"

"Oh, so you're the guests we're expecting? My name is Ryuudou Issei. I'm the son of the head monk here."

"I am Yagami Kousuke. And this is…"

"Just call me Misukume. I'm his fiancée."

I cringed at the word fiancée. Oh well.

"Misukume? Have I heard that name somewhere before?"

"Of course not, don't be silly~"

Even as he brought us to see the head monk, he still seemed wary of Caster. It seemed that he had a slight innate ability to sense spirits or something similar ability.

"Alright, here we are."

"Thanks, Issei-san."

"No problem."

-Some time later-

After talking to the head monk, he brought us to a medium-sized Japanese-style guest building separate from the temple. It wasn't that bad really. It had a kitchen, a bathroom and a living room/bedroom of just the right size.

"Alright, I'm done unpacking, Master!"

"Same here."

"So what do we do now?"

"We have to go register ourselves at the Church."

"Register? Ok then, let's go!"

-Kotomine Church-

The second I stepped into the church, I wished that I had never done so in the first place.

"I hate this place already."

"It's terrible…I can hear the crying souls of tortured children."

"On second thoughts, make my wish for this war be to completely obliterate this church."

We walked further into the church.

"Priest! Are you there?"

"Yes, who calls for me?"

I watched as a tall, very well-built man with dark brown hair dressed in a priest's garb step out from somewhere behind the altar.

"I am Kotomine Kirei, the priest of this humble church. How may I help?"

"Are you the overseer?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

I dusted off the makeup covering my Command Spell and showed it to the priest.

"I, Yagami Kousuke, have come to register for the fifth Heaven's Feel with my Servant, Caster."

"Very well. If you ever lose your Servant, you may come to the church to seek sanctuary. While you are here, other Masters are not allowed to make any attempt on your life."

"Understood. Are you allowed to answer our questions?"

"If it is within my power to answer, then yes."

"Have all the Servants been summoned yet?"

The priest's lips curled up in a small smile.

"No."

"Very well. I bid you goodbye now."

We left the church.

XXX

-Kirei-

As Yagami Kousuke and Caster left, the King of Heroes emerged from a door, hidden away from prying eyes.

"It seems that they might have noticed your presence, King of Heroes."

"Hmph! They should be honored to even be in my oresence!"

"Well then, what is your evaluation."

"I hate them. They both have the blood of a god running in their veins. Such divinity should not be present in a vixen and a mongrel!"

"Oh? As expected of you, King of Heroes."

I looked up to the roof of the church, awaiting the great disaster that was next to come. And as I spoke, the words seemed to echo through the empty church.

"I wonder, what is your true wish, Yagami Kousuke."

XXX

-Kousuke-

Only after we were a large distance from the church did I finally let my guard down.

"Damn, what was up with that place, not to mention that massive presence we felt. Caster, was it a Servant?"

"I don't know…I really couldn't tell…sorry Master…"

At that moment, Caster looked so down that I couldn't help but rub her head to comfort her.

"Don't worry Caster, it's no big deal for now. We'll just have to handle it when the time comes."

"Hyah! Master~it tickles!"

Well, at least she was back to normal.

"Come on, let's buy our ingredients for dinner."

As we walked, Caster asked me something.

"Hey, why did you ask the priest about whether all the Servants have been summoned yet?"

"Well…I was thinking…only magi can become Masters and summon Servants, and Casters are magi, so…"

"Master?"

Suddenly, I realized I was grinning.

"I'll tell you more when we get back."

"Hai!"

-Night, Ryuudouji-

Caster and I stood in the compound in front of the temple.

"Is everyone asleep?"

"Yes. And even if they weren't, I made sure they were."

"Alright, let's begin."

Slowly, with a stick of chalk, I drew a summoning circle just like the one I used to summon Caster with. My plan was to have Caster summon a Servant, but have it contracted to me. That way, Caster can supply the prana while I command the Servant. Of course, she won't be supplying 100% of the prana. I was going for a 75/25 split. I stood near the edge of the circle, while Caster stood behind me.

"Good. Here we go. Caster, start it up!"

The circle flared to life as I began the incantation.

"so ni gin to tetsu. so ni ishi to keiyaku no taikou. so ni wa waga daishi Schweinorg.

oritatsu kaze ni wa kabe wo. shihou no mon wa toji, oukan yori ide, oukoku ni itaru sansaro wa junkan seyo.

tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase). tojiyo (midase).

kurikaesu tsudo ni godo.

tada, mitasareru toki wo hakyaku suru.

-tsugeru.

nanji no mi wa waga moto ni, waga unmei wa nanji no ken ni.

seihai no yorube ni shitagai, kono i, kono kotowari ni shitagau naraba kotae yo.

chikai wa koko ni. ware wa tokoyo subete no zen to naru mono, ware wa tokoyo subete no aku wo shiku mono.

nanji sandai no kotodama wo matou shichiten, yukushi no wa yori kitate, tenbin no mamorite yo!"

The glow grew brighter, but not as bright as when I summoned Caster. Then, instead of culminating in a flash, the glow faded away, and no Servant could be seen.

"Did we fail?"

At that moment, I felt a searing burn on the back of my left hand and at the same time, he slowly appeared from the feet up. The Servant was wearing a traditional light purple umanori hakama and kimono, light purple tabi and black geta with purple haori and tekkou. His indigo hair was tied back in a long ponytail and he had with him a ridiculously long nodachi. Most would not have recognized him, but I did. From the only, single, hand-painted portrait of him in the Yagami mansion.

"I am Servant Assassin, at your service. I ask of thee, art thou my Master?"

"Are you…Sasaki Kojirou?"

He looked mildly surprised.

"Well, I never thought I would be easily recognized by someone from this time period. Tell me Master, what is your name?"

"Yagami Kousuke, future 13th head and heir of the Yagami family."

"Yagami…you don't mean the Yagami family founded by Yagami Madara?"

"Yes, that one. The one you married into, then left after divorcing your wife."

He sighed and looked up.

"Yagami…I never thought I would hear that name again…to answer your question, I am Sasaki Kojirou; but at the same time, I am not Sasaki Kojirou."

"I don't understand."

"What you have summoned is a fictional character, a fictional samurai. I am the swordsman from fiction, Sasaki Kojirou. I have all his skills and techniques, but I am not him."

"I see. But you remember my family name?"

"Yes. The only reason I could was because you are my Master, and thus my memories of the past of Sasaki Kojirou have been strengthened.

"I see. Very well. Assassin, your first, and only job is to guard this gate with your life. Do not let anyone enter but myself, Caster and any of the temple's residents."

I gave him a small bell, and so did Tamamo.

"Whenever we leave this temple, we will ask you for those bells. Whenever we return, we will give you those bells. If either of us ever fail to do so, I want you to attack us the minute our backs are turned, understood?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. See you tomorrow…Kojirou-sama."

As I walked back to the guest house with Tamamo, I remembered what I read about Sasaki Kojirou from our family archives. Master of the nodachi and inventor of the Tsubame Gaeshi, he met his untimely end at the hands of his rival, Miyamoto Musashi after a duel on an island. What isn't publicly known is that he was married into the Yagami family for three years, but left after a falling out with his father-in-law which subsequently led to a divorce. Because of that, our family did its best to forget him, but he carved himself into the annals of our history books with his superior nodachi technique as well as the invention of the legendary Tsubame Gaeshi, a technique where three concurrent arching blades close on the enemy from all sides to create a prison, allowing no chance for defense or evasion. True pure skill alone, he managed to replicate the effects of the Second Magic with his sword. And thus, he set the bar to be surpassed by our family. The goal of all Yagamis is to perfectly replicate his Tsubame Gaeshi, but none have succeeded. That too, is one of my goals. So far, I have only been able to do two illusional slashes and one true slash…but it's still not enough. Somehow…somehow, I will be the second person alive to master it!

-Guest house-

Walking into the guest house, I stumbled into the futon.

"Haah…hah…"

"Master, you look tired."

"I am…I just summoned a Servant, even if it was a joint summoning."

Even though Tamamo supplied most of the prana, I still put in quite a large amount of my own, which tired me out.

"Weeeeell then…ufufu…"

And before I even noticed, Tamamo was crawling on top of me.

"I know a reaaally good way to handle that problem…"

"Wha-What do you mean?!"

"Oh, you know what I'm talking about~ Mana transfer…"

"N-No! It'll refill on its own, thank you very much!"

"And don't worry about making too much noise…I already soundproofed this whole house, so no one can hear us at-all~"

"Nonononono, we can talk this over! Tamamoooooo!"

And thus, I spent the night being forcefully given mana by Caster. I really hope this war ends soon.

* * *

And thus, we end this chapter with super fluffy rape time! And WOW, I was amazed by the amount of favorites and followers I got for just one chapter! And so, thanks to Fenrir of the North, Hunter-35, bamafelix, linkthetoaoftime, lioncousin and namikaze93600 for favoriting! As for followers, thanks to 4112519 (seriously?), EdwynX, HegemonAlexandrov, HolyMage Mouto, Hunter-35, bamafelix, chins4tw, gundamxmeister and I suck at naming things (yes you do) for following! I'm gonna do the Servant stats for Caster and Assassin later because I'm just too damn tired right now (it's 4.20am) and I'm still deciding whether to make that a single chapter or tack that onto the end of the next chapter. Well whatever, thanks for reading, review, favorite, follow whatever! Flamers can go burn in their own flames! Capitalism, ho!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: First Encounter**

And here we are, Chapter 3! Nothing much happened on Day 2 and Day 3, so I'm just going to mix all three days into one. Also, I'm not happy with the limited spells Caster has in Extra, and so I decided to give her more. However, I'm not good at inventing awesome Japanese names for spells, so I'm just going to steal as many spells and skills as possible from anime and games. Let's go!

Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Stay Night (or anything else I stole lol)

* * *

-Kousuke-

-Day 2, 1st December, Morning, Guest house-

"Uuuh…"

Opening my eyes, I sat up from the futon to the sound of cooking.

"Ah, ohayou, goshuujin-sama!"

And I woke up to pleasant sight of Caster cooking breakfast in the kitchen.

"Did you have a good sleep? How was your night?"

I groaned as I remembered last night's events.

"Don't be like that, Master! Don't you feel super refreshed now?"

As a matter of fact, I did. Huh. Maybe this mana transfer has some advantages after all. I got up from the futon.

"I'm going to call Kojirou in for breakfast."

"Ok!"

Outside the guest house, I walked over to Assassin who was standing by the gates.

"Morning, Assassin."

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Master. Nothing eventful happened last night."

"Good work. Come on, breakfast is ready."

"…eh? Master, Servants don't have to eat. We can live off mana alone."

"Yeah, but isn't eating much better? Mana doesn't really have any taste, does it?"

"…Well, if my Master insists."

"Alright then."

Soon, the three of us were seated around the table.

"Itadakimasu."

Breakfast started. It was just so surreal. Eating breakfast with two powerful ancient spirits, not to mention the fact that they were both my ancestors. It almost felt as though there was no war going on.

"How is it, goshuujin-sama?"

"Un. It's good. You're a great cook, Tamamo."

"Hehee, praise me more, Kousuke!"

"Is it really alright for me to not be guarding the gate?" asked Kojirou.

"Don't worry. Since both Tamamo and I are at the temple itself, we'll know whenever a Servant or Master enters its range, and when that happens, we'll just blast enough magic blasts down the stairs to blow them away. Your job is to protect the place when we're absent."

"I see. This is delicious, by the way."

"Thanks, Kojirou-san!"

-Later, Late morning-

"Alright, that's done. Now there…"

After breakfast. Caster was inscribing various kanji and runes on the temple grounds to set up her Bounded Fields. As for me, I was training with Assassin.

"!"

Bringing up my katana to deflect from the right, I maneuvered out of his range. Now, I was fighting purely off skill alone, without any physical Reinforcement at all. We've been going at it for 5 minutes, and I was already working really hard.

"As expected of you…you really are amazing with your Monohoshizao."

"I'm surprised at your skill as well, Master. Just from our short spar, I can tell that you have already surpassed the 4th head in swordsmanship when he was your age."

"Really?"

"Yes. Shall we continue?"

"Of course."

-Evening-

Caster and I were once again exploring Fuyuki to get to know the geography of the area. In the end, Assassin managed to get a small cut on my face which I just barely avoided, making him the winner of the duel.

"Master, those crepes look nice!"

"I haven't had any in a while. Ok then."

So we bought some crepes and ate them as we walked.

"Say Caster, how are you liking the modern world?"

"I'm loving it! It's great, and everything is really convenient!"

As we walked, we reached…a park. But to call it a park was like calling an elephant a dog. The ground was completely blackened, and the few trees around were all dead.

"Master…what is this place?"

"This is the site of the Fuyuki fire from 10 years ago. It happened at the end of the Fourth Heaven's Feel, so I assume that they are related."

"This place is horrible…I can feel the corruption just coming out of it…no one would have been able to survive this."

"You know, this feeling…I got a bit of it coming from…the priest."

Caster nodded.

"Yes, you're right. He was definitely here when it happened."

"I don't feel too good here. Come on, let's go home. I've seen enough of the city to be able to recognize it."

"Alright, let's go."

XXX

-Day 3, 2nd December, Morning, Guest house-

"Goshuujin-sama, it's morning! Wake up~"

"Uuuh…do we have to do that every night…"

"Ehehe~"

Once again, the day was spent training, building more Bounded Fields and barriers, going into town, and returning. That night however, we were in for a surprise.

-Night-

"Master, Master! Two Servants are fighting!"

"Where, where?!"

I looked into the mirror Tamamo was using to observe the whole city. The feed was supplied by kanji Tamamo hid all over Fuyuki, which were more easily hidden than runes, even if found because we were in Japan. Even more cunningly, she wrote her surveillance kanji over existing kanji on storefronts, roadsigns and so on. Leaving them in plain sight.

"I think it's the high school, we passed, Homurahara Gakuen!"

"Issei's school?"

Looking into the mirror, we saw two Servants in a heated battle. A man in blue with a red lance, and a white-haired man in red with a pair of twin blades.

"The blue one is definitely a Lancer, but what about the red one?"

"He has swords, so a Saber?"

"Maybe. But he could be a Rider not using his mount to confuse the enemy."

"Let's keep watching."

We watched as Lancer and the other Servant traded blows over and over. While Lancer focused on attacking, the Servant in red just kept defending with his blades. The amazing thing was, each time a blade was knocked out of his hands, another would just reappear.

"Caster, is this…Projection?"

"Yes, but I've never seen Projection of this level before! He's dangerous, Master."

Projection, or Gradation Air is a Magecraft that materializes objects, in accordance to the caster's imagination, through the use of prana. The concept behind this Magecraft is rather simple, to shape prana into the material composition and design of an object that is being imagined by the magus. The item is not everlasting, as it is recognized by the world as a phantasm that doesn't belong in the natural world, and it will be erased as an inconsistency. The better the image in the caster's imagination, the more stable and longer lasting the object will be, and it can be further improved by having technical knowledge of its construction, such as a blueprint, or having materials to overlay the desired shape upon.

"Master, look!"

All of a sudden, the Lancer broke away from combat and ran in another direction.

"Is his Master calling him back?"

"Probably. He clearly had the upper hand."

As he left, a girl dressed in red with black hair tied back in twintails ran towards the Servant.

"That's definitely his Master."

"Yes. And I think…I might know of her identity…"

"Do you?"

"Umm…no, I don't."

"It's alright, Master. We'll just have to find out ourselves."

"Right."

-Past midnight-

"Master! Master!"

Just as I was about to turn in for the night, Caster shoved the mirror in my face so forcefully it almost smashed into me.

"Big news! Big news! Berserker and Saber are fighting!"

"What?!"

This truly was big news. Two of the strongest Servants, already battling it out this early? Looking into the mirror, we watched as the bronze giant swing his giant stone sword-axe at the blonde swordswoman, who was barely defending herself.

"Look, she already has an injury!"

I looked carefully at Saber, and she did have a somewhat serious wound on her upper torso.

"Berserker wouldn't have left that kind of wound, she would have been ripped in half by that sword. It's a puncture wound…she must have ran into Lancer."

"What kind of Berserker…is that?!"

We watched as the Saber slowly backs down with each of the giant's swings. As if sensing her weakness, the giant opened his mouth and let out what must have been a terrifying roar, for Tamamo's spell only transmitted images.

"Oh no!"

And in an instant, Saber was blown away into the distance. We watched as Saber's posture collapsed, and the lead giant chased after her like a madman.

"Master, look! Her Master!"

Tamamo panned the view around to see a teenage boy with deep-orange hair, standing there, not making a single move.

"He doesn't seem that Master-ish. Did he accidentally get involved in this?"

"Oh dear…Saber!"

Moving the image back, we saw Saber fly through the air in a big arc, landing in a crumpled heap. Also, probably because Berserker felled the lamppost, we were viewing the battle sideways, so Tamamo rotated the image until it was upright again.

"Amazing…with that sort of wound, I'm absolutely amazed that she can still stand up to Berserker," said Caster.

As Berserker moved in to finish Saber, it suddenly received a barrage of magic attacks on its back!

"Master, that's the red Servant's Master!"

Indeed she was. Was she working together with Saber's Master? But that aside, Berserker was not even fazed by her attack. I really wonder what level of Magecraft I had to pull off to even make a scratch on him. Of course, Tamamo should have plenty. I hope.

"Incredible, she's still standing!"

We watched as Saber got up again, and Berserker continued pounding her relentlessly. But her posture was off, and the giant could tell. Letting out another furious roar, his swing finally connected with Saber's body.

"Ah!"

"What willpower…"

Even after a direct hit, with blood gushing out her, the blonde swordswoman stood up. Somehow sensing that his enemy has been defeated, Berserker stopped moving.

"Master, I found Berserker's Master!"

Tamamo spun the image to the right, to see a young girl with white hair and red eyes dressed in purple winter clothes.

"No way…is that really Berserker's Master?"

"That's…there's no doubting it. She's the Einzbern representative for this war."

"Einzbern?"

"Yes."

After briefly giving Tamamo a short explanation on the Einzberns, we continued watching.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING DON'T GO THERE!" screamed Tamamo suddenly.

"What hap-HOLY SHIT!"

We looked at the mirror to see the young man make a mad dash for the defeated Saber, and suddenly, he was on the ground, with his innards beaten out by Berserker.

"…It's over."

"Yes."

That idiot Master. He actually shielded Saber with his body! But…but…if it was Caster and I in that same situation…I probably would have done the exact same thing.

"Saber's Master…is definitely a good person."

"Why do you say that?"

"Just from that one action alone, I can tell…he cares for his Saber and doesn't treat her like a tool or a mere familiar…he treats her like a person."

"I see…hmm?"

Suddenly, the Einzbern Master left, bringing Berserker behind, leaving a heavily wounded Saber, an equally wounded Master, and the Master of the Servant in red.

"She…left?"

"Why?" I mused. "Her victory was 100% guaranteed."

"Maybe, some other reason? Something among Masters? The Einzbern looked like she knew the girl in red."

"I that's true, that means…she's Tohsaka!"

"You mean, the Second Owner you told me about?"

"Yes, I learnt about Fuyuki from my family and that the Second Owner, in charge of all magus-related things in the city are the Tohsaka, or something like that."

"I see."

Caster turned off the feed from the mirror.

"So, should we assume Saber and her Master have been defeated, goshuujin-sama?"

"…No. Tohsaka should be a talented magus, and I know that it is still possible to save someone with their innards forcibly removed by Magecraft. Or his Servant might have a regenerative ability that can be shared with their Master. The point is, I'm not going to write off a Servant or a Master as long as their body is still in one piece and their head is still attached."

"I see. As expected of you, Kousuke."

Caster suddenly started smiling, and I felt a terrible sense of foreboding.

"I-UGUAGSHGU!"

And before I could even react, I was thrown into the futon with Tamamo again. Seems that I would have another night of being force fed mana by my Servant.

XXX

-Two hours later-

Silently, Assassin waited at the top of the stairs. He had already sensed the enemy approaching, but he would wait here, for he had the advantage in elevation. Finally, he arrived. Upon catching sight of Assassin, the intruder frowned.

"Who are you?"

"I am Servant Assassin, and the guardian of this gate. You are Servant Lancer, I presume."

"Assassin? I was told that Caster was up here."

"Oh? And where did you get such information?"

"None of your business."

As Lancer readied his lance, Assassin drew Monohoshizao as well. Lancer cocked an eyebrow when he saw its length.

"What kind of Assassin uses a sword? And a ridiculously long one, at that."

"I'm just a fake Assassin, nothing more than a mere phantom. My name is Sasaki Kojirou, and my one and only job is to guard this gate from intruders."

Slowly, Lancer grinned a feral grin.

"That must get pretty boring, huh?"

"On the contrary, my Master treats me well when he is around, and he is anything but a boring person."

Lancer grinned even wider.

"Well then, I'll be your opponent in this war then, Assassin!"

"I gratefully accept!"

And thus, the skirmish began. Lancer began his assault from below, but Assassin just stood on the stair platform.

"Cheh, this damn place is a terrible place to fight! Oi, move up, will ya!"

Assassin smiled.

"I am not obliged to give up my personal advantage here, so no thank you," he replied as he continued deflecting and parrying all of Lancer's attacks.

"All you do is defend! Throw in some offense, why don't you!"

"The best offense is a good defense, and vice versa."

By now, Lancer was getting slightly pissed. He was supposed to be the fastest Servant around, and yet this guy was keeping up with him perfectly. Also, you would think that a thin nodachi would break when used to block a weapon like a spear, or a sword. It would, but all Assassin was doing was defending himself by deflecting the attacks instead of blocking them.

"Come on, fight me!"

Left, right, left, straight, below, left, all of Lancer's strikes were swiftly deflected by Assassin. When fighting someone with a sword, a spearman has the advantage, but Assassin's sword has about the same range as Lancer's spear, not to mention the height advantage.

"How about this then!"

Suddenly, Lancer launched himself towards Assassin, but he suddenly changed direction and shot upwards. Stabbing downwards at Assassin, he still managed to deflect it and Lancer was forced to return to his original position.

"Tch, you're good. Now, let's see you block this!"

For a moment, Lancer stopped attacking. But that moment was all Assassin needed. In one swift, graceful movement, his sword arched itself towards Lancer, who just managed to avoid it, but Assassin still managed to leave a shallow cut along Lancer's forehead. As Lancer backpedalled, Assassin spoke.

"I would recommend not using any skills which require charging of any sort, Lancer."

"Bastard."

And with a running start, Lancer jumped! Even higher than before, this time he was outside Assassin's range. But as the saying goes, 'The mantis hunts the cicada, but does not see the sparrow behind him'.

"…Hadō: Kōkyūha!"

All of a sudden, a reddish-purple ball of prana slammed into Lancer, damaging and knocking him off balance.

"GUARGH!"

"Assassin."

"Understood."

However, Lancer was still capable enough to deflect Assassin's strike and somehow land safely on a lower platform. He looked up to see Kousuke, with his foot still lifted from kicking the prana ball at Lancer.

"Keh, so, you're the Master of Assassin."

"Yes. Yes I am."

"You're good. For me to not see that coming, how long have you been watching?"

"All this time."

"I see. Well then, looks like my Master wants me back. Assassin! Next time we meet you better fight me properly!"

"I circumstances allow it, then I may."

The two watched as Lancer bounded down the stairs. Kousuke turned to Assassin.

"Well then, how was your first real fight in the Holy Grail War?"

"It was exhilarating, to say the least. I haven't been this excited since I fought Musashi."

"That was your last fight."

"Oh, right."

Kousuke took a deep breath.

"Are you tired, Master?"

"Of course I am. If you can find me a person that won't be tired after 'that' I'll be impressed."

"…'That'?"

Kousuke looked away.

"It's nothing…good night, Assassin."

"Good night, Master."

XXX

-Kousuke-

-Day 4, 3rd December, Morning, Guest house-

This morning, I woke up a bit later, because of last night's events. To be honest, I got lucky with Lancer last night. I didn't want to charge the Hadō with too much prana because Assassin too close and would get caught in the explosion if I used it at full power without its incantation, so I only used half power, without the incantation. However, since Caster had just given me mana, the Hadō was still powered more than it should, and after looking at Lancer's stats (Magic Resistance: C Rank), the 50% incantation-less Kōkyūha wouldn't have damaged him at all.

"Ohayou, goshuujin-sama!"

"Ohayou."

"Something important happened while you were sleeping!"

"What?"

"Saber and her Master are still alive!"

"What?!"

She nodded at me and gestured towards the mirror she hung up.

"Earlier, I saw the Tohsaka girl leaving. She seemed a bit upset, so that might mean that her alliance with him might have failed. Then, some time later, Saber and her Master left the house!"

"Really?"

"Where did they go?"

"The church, I think. I didn't really look that far. But more importantly, Saber's Master was completely healed!"

"What?! How? That was a near fatal wound! It should have taken a long time for a normal human to heal, even if he was a magus."

"I know! Maybe his Servant has a special regenerative capability after all."

"I see."

Suddenly, my stomach rumbled. I sighed.

"Way to ruin the mood…"

Tamamo giggled.

"Breakfast is on the kitchen counter! Assassin already ate."

"I see."

I started eating.

"Say, Tamamo…"

"Yes?"

"I have a question."

"What is it?"

"I want to meet Saber and her Master."

"Eh?!"

I nodded.

"They seem like the Master did not join the war on his own volition, so I want to know what he's going to do."

"But, did he reject the Tohsaka's alliance request or something?"

"Maybe. Since Tohsaka is a traditional magus, she probably will want to win the war by any means necessary. We, however, are only targeting Servants or incapacitating Masters to force them to surrender their Command Spells. Otherwise, we'll only kill them when absolutely necessary."

"Right."

"What I'm thinking is that he probably has the same mindset as us. So, I want to talk with him. I want to know where he stands in this war."

"I see. That's a good idea, Kousuke. So how are we going to find him? Because most of my 'cameras' were destroyed when Berserker trashed that particular area."

I smiled.

"Caster…we're going patrolling tonight."

-Midnight, Fuyuki Streets-

Slowly, we walked through the streets. Caster was dressed in her original clothes and myself in my traditional clothes. Suddenly, we stopped.

"They're nearby. Be careful, Master."

"Yes, Caster."

Carefully, we continued. But all of a sudden!

"Master!"

"Got it!"

In that split second, I drew my katana and barely deflected Saber's strike from above.

"Gaaah!"

She. Was. Strong. Damn strong. Despite using a technique similar to when Assassin deflected Lancer's strikes by redirecting them, the shock travelled up my arms and I could barely feel them, especially since I only managed to sloppily Reinforce my arms in case of emergency. Even so, I realized that she was aiming for Caster, not me, so she must be acting on the orders of 'attack the Servant, not the Master'. Saber however, landed with a surprised look on her face.

"Master, are you alright?!"

"I guess…keh…"

"Hold on, I'll take care of that!"

Caster slowly massaged my arms. I could feel her prana flowing gradually into me, and soon I was back to normal.

"How…did you deflect…my sword?"

"Saber!"

Her Master ran around the corner, and caught sight of us. Sheathing my sword, I held an arm up.

"Greetings, Master of Saber. Before we go any further, let me just say that I wish you no harm.

"Really?"

"Shirou!"

Saber was obviously still tense, but Shirou, her Master was looking at me.

"Let me introduce myself. I am Yagami Kousuke, and this is my Servant, Caster."

All three of them suddenly looked incredulously at me, for I had just divulged my Servant's identity.

"Master! What was that for?!"

"Isn't it customary to introduce yourself before you ask someone for an introduction?"

"Oh, right, sorry. I am Emiya Shirou, and this is my Servant, Saber."

This time, Saber was the one yelling.

"Shirou! Why did you divulge our identities!"

"Eh? No, he introduced himself, and he seemed polite, so…"

"Hmph!"

Saber turned back at us and stood in a defensive position.

"What do you want from us, Caster and Master?"

"I came because I wanted a talk."

"A talk?"

"Yes, a peaceful talk."

Saber still seemed suspicious.

"Saber, I think we should at least listen to them."

"Shirou!"

"They haven't even attacked us or anything."

"…Understood."

Grudgingly, Saber sheathed her sword. I breathed a short sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your understanding, Saber, Shirou."

"Well, what is it? Speak."

"I am here to confirm your intentions for the war."

"Intentions?"

"From what we've seen, you would rather focus on the enemy Servant instead of going after the Master, is that right?"

Saber involuntarily stiffened, which was obvious since I just told them that we've been watching them in a subtle way. Shirou however, did not notice.

"Yes. We will only fight to defend ourselves. And even if we do fight, we will only target the enemy Servant."

I nodded. Ignoring the surprise attack by Saber, I replied.

"Good. Because that too, is our plan for the war."

Shirou looked relieved.

"I see. That's good. I'm relieved that there are others in the war who share the same thoughts."

"That's why, I want to propose a truce."

"A truce?"

"Yes a truce. Instead of an alliance, we'll have a truce. We won't attack each other unless we're the last two remaining. And even if that happens, it will be a fight between Servants, not Masters."

As Shirou opened his mouth, but suddenly his expression changed.

"Wait…you haven't told me what your intentions for the grail are. If they are evil, then I cannot be involved in a truce with you."

I nodded.

"That's agreeable. To be frank, as of now, I have no wish for the grail."

The two of them looked surprised.

"You don't?"

"Yes. I only participated in the Fifth Heaven's Feel to bring honour and victory to my family, who have never been chosen for the Heaven's Feel for the past 200 years. However, I must ask you the same question. What are your intentions for the grail, Emiya Shirou?"

"I also have no wish for the grail. My goal is to prevent the grail from being used for evil intentions."

Beside us, I could see both our Servants shaking their heads, as if in mutual agreement at the fact that both their Masters were currently wishless.

"It seems that we are slightly alike in some ways then. Well then, shall we call it a truce?"

"Yes, I accept."

We walked forwards and shook hands with each other.

"Do have anything else to talk about, Yagami-san?"

"Well…there is one thing I'm interested in."

"What is it?"

"Actually…it's about Saber."

"What about her?"

"As a swordsman myself…I want to request a duel."

All three of them looked at me in utter shock.

"What?"

"Pardon?"

"Kousuke are you serious?! You saw how she stood up to Berserker! And how she easily cut out Rider's abdomen!"

I nodded.

"Well yes, but I have trust in Saber that she is an honourable swordswoman."

Suddenly, Saber spoke up.

"What are your terms for the duel?"

"We fight to disarm. We shall not be assisted by our respective partners. Minor injuries are acceptable."

"Very well, I accept your challenge."

"Master!"

"Saber!"

Both our partners cried out in indignation.

"Shirou, please stand aside. Do not fret, I definitely will not kill him."

"Caster, please. I'm sorry, but I need to do this."

Slowly, Shirou and Caster backed away. Facing each other, we drew our swords. I read her Servant stats. Or the only three that currently mattered.

"Strength, B. Endurance, C. Agility, C. This is going to be tough."

"You were the one who issued the challenge, were you not?"

"Yes, yes, I know."

"Well then…I shall begin!"

In a flash, Saber was onto me. I have never been so grateful to the fact that I had physically Reinforced myself while we were talking, and thanks to the fact that my clothes were also Reinforced the same way as some of the Enforcers of the Magus Association, I was just barely fast enough to keep up with her.

"!"

Slash, swing, slash, thrust, stab, slash, overhead, swing, feint, stab, uppercut, all I could do was defend against Saber's relentless attacks. Although her attacks were only marginally slower than Assassin's, her Strength more than made up for it. Despite the fact that I kept redirecting the force of her blows, every single one of her strikes shook me to the bone.

"Haah…keh…"

Finally, after about half a minute, I managed to backpedal and land safely behind me on my own two feet. Saber stood her ground, and seemed slightly impressed.

"I'm impressed, Kousuke. I never thought that a human could ever match a Servant in combat."

"Hey, I'm overexerting myself over here you know, cut me some slack."

"Oh, but I am? I would not use the full scope of my skills against someone who isn't a Servant."

"Ouch, that's a blow to my pride…oh well, I guess there's no better time than now to reveal them."

Taking of my glasses, I saw the world grow slightly blurred for a split second before I closed my eyes.

"Kyōka no Magan."

And when I opened my eyes again, the iris had turned scarlet and three black mitsudomoe encircled the pupil. Saber visibly flinched, Shirou took a step back, and Caster was surprised.

"W-What's that?!" exclaimed Saber's Master.

"Master, you have Mystic Eyes?!"

"Mystic Eyes…"

"Yes, the Mystic Eyes of my family, Mystic Eyes of Empowerment. With them activated, my body is physically enhanced. The level of enhancement is equal to the skill one has is using them. Not everyone is born with them however, and they require extensive training to be used properly."

I held my sword up. It was my turn.

"As for me, my abilities are increased…tenfold."

And faster than I could have ever dashed, I rushed at Saber, and immediately began feinting in every direction. After the 11th feint, I began attacking. I kept striking at her with everything I had, but she blocked everything with little effort. However, I could tell that she was in a state of great concentration. Suddenly, she found a break in my pattern, and swung her sword in a massive arc! But I managed to jump over her and slash at her on my way down, but she still managed to counter, and I was thrown backwards.

"Just as I thought, ridiculously strong and fast with incredible instinct, you are an incredible swordswoman, Saber."

Saber smiled a small smile as she prepared herself.

"As are you, Kousuke. I have vastly underestimated your abilities. But now, I shall be going at my full strength! Prepare yourself!"

This time, she ran at me even faster, but with my Mystic Eyes, I just managed to perceive and predict her movements. Like as though in slow motion, I evaded her first strike, went in for an attack, and time sped up and we were going at full throttle. Left, right, above, left, below, front, back, right, slash, thrust, dodge, parry, deflect, slash, swing, above, right, backhand, I really was being pushed to me limits. The weakness of a katana versus a broadsword was that it is meant for speed, not power and therefore will be damaged if it is used to block a Western sword. However, after using my sword for 18 years, it had also developed some power of its own.

"Haaah!"

As she came in for an overhead slash, I suddenly switched fighting styles and instead of deflecting, I blocked it head on.

"Grrrrhk!"

I could literally feel my feet being pushed into the ground, but I held on. Saber however, was full of shock.

"It didn't break?!"

I used that lapse in concentration to unleash a counter slash, but Saber just managed to dodge it. However, I chased after her and followed up with a large downwards strike. She evaded it again, and my sword became embedded in the road from the force behind the attack. Pulling my katana out, Saber stared at me with narrowed eyes.

"Your sword…it's not normal. Have you placed some sort of Magecraft on it?"

I smiled.

"Well, it is Reinforced, but let me tell you something. For members of the head family, their swords must be crafted and completed on the day of the baby's birth itself. I know, it seems impossible, and the crafter must have an absurd sense of timing. Basically, the newly made sword, with its blade crafted from tamahagane will be handed to the baby for him or her to touch on that very same day. It's an old family tradition, so it's not questioned, but it's believed to link the child's soul with the sword itself."

I ran a finger down the back of my katana.

"My sword was given the name 'Yattsugami', named by my grandfather. For the past 18 years, I have been training with it, using it, and taking care of it for almost every day that I'm with it. In fact, after pouring so much prana into it, somehow, without any knowledge of how to do so, I have established a link between my soul with my sword. It has become my very own Mystic Code."

Holding my swords in both hands, I stood ready to face Saber.

"The things it can cut are second to none. As long as I am alive, my sword will never break!"

Suddenly, I rushed at Saber, who was slightly caught off guard as I started before finishing me sentence. As if on a sudden whim, she held her sword in both hands over her shoulder, as if preparing for a massive swing.

"Very well, but can you handle this?!"

"Master, watch out!"

"Saber, wait!"

"Invisible Air!"

I stopped as her sword released a massive burst of compressed wind at me.

"Master!"

"Yagami-ryū Kenjutsu."

In swift, flowing movements, I rapidly sliced at the air in a dozen arcs in front of me, and as the burst of wind approached, it was literally sliced it away, and it blew past me, causing a substantial amount of destruction behind me. In fact, I sliced so fast, the silvery-white afterimage of my sword could be seen, looking just like a white lotus. And that, was the origin of this move's name.

"Byakuren."

As the wind subsided, all three of them were looking at me incredulously.

"Now that was a shock, Saber. I thought we were going on pure swordsmanship alone. Saber suddenly looked guilty.

"No, it's my fault! I got too excited, and-"

"Payback time~"

"!"

Moving faster than I previously was, I was right in front of Saber.

"Yagami-ryū Kenjutsu."

"Saber, careful!"

"Setsugetsuka!"

Using my foot as an axis, I spun in a full circle, my sword leaving a silvery trail as I swung it.

"!"

However, just before the executed the move, Saber leaped away. When my posture returned to normal, everyone watched as I turned around.

And the edge of the corner wall, along with a stop sign, was cleanly sliced off and fell to the ground with a crash and a clang.

"For a human to do this, how is this possible?!"

"That, was two of the Yagami Family Sword Arts. Throughout the 500 years of our history, many members of the family have invented their own signature, one-hit kill moves. All of them are recorded, and are taught to the future generations. Some are easier to master, but some are harder, and the hardest could take years, even decades, but thanks to my Origin…"

As everyone listened intently, I stopped talking, sheathed my sword and gave a bow.

"Well then. It has been an interesting night for me. Thank you for giving me such an experience, Servant Saber. But now, it's time for us to leave. And we shall, but with a bang. Caster"

"Right!"

Caster began rapidly muttering in archaic Japanese I couldn't even understand with one hand raised above her head. As for me, I held up my right hand, palm out, grasped my right wrist to support it, and began chanting.

"kunrinsha yo! chiniku no kamen, banshō, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo!"

As I recited the incantation, a ball of red prana materialized and grew in my palm of my hand. As for Caster, a large fireball began growing.

"Saber!"

"Shirou, watch out!"

"shōnetsu to sōran, umihedate sakamaki minami e to ho o susume yo!"

Finally, both our spells reached full power, and we both finished our respective incantations.

"Hadō: Shakkahō!"

"Enyōdama!"

We both launched our spells, and where they collided, there was a massive explosion of flames and prana.

XXX

-Shirou-

Slowly, I moved my hands away from my face. I could feel the explosion from here, and when I looked, there was a large crater in the ground, and the road was blackened and smoking.

"I thought we had a truce!"

"Shirou, calm down."

"Saber?"

"They never targeted us to begin with."

"Eh?"

"To be more direct, they were just…'showing off' their Magecraft."

"Showing off…"

I sighed. Suddenly, I saw a piece of paper on the ground where Kousuke and Caster stood. I went to pick it up.

"What is it, Shirou?"

On that piece of paper was a mobile phone number, and a line of text.

"I am currently staying at the Ryuudouji. If you ever need anything, call me, and we'll decide a time and place to meet."

"Did he give us a method of contacting him?"

"Yes, he did."

"I see."

Looking around, I sighed.

"Well, let's go home, Saber."

"Yes, Shirou."

XXX

-Kousuke-

-Guest house-

Without saying a word, I toppled onto the futon Caster had set out before we left.

"Are you alright, Master?!"

Panting, I replied.

"Yes…just, really…tired…physically…"

God, I could barely move a muscle after our duel. The next time we run into a Servant, I definitely have to get Caster to Reinforce my body until I can punch through steel or something.

"I see. Say, you really haven't told me the finer details of your Hadō and Bakudō yet. Can you pleeease tell me~?"

With a sigh, I began explaining. The founder of our family Magecraft, the first head, Yagami Madara, invented 2 sets of 99 spells. Bakudō, the Way of Sealing, focuses on barriers and seals, as well as incapacitating and immobilizing your opponents without actually hurting them (with some exceptions though). Hadō, the Way of Destruction, focuses on just that. Destruction. Explosions. The lower level spells can be easily learnt, most of the middle-level spells need to be constantly practiced, but can usually be mastered within weeks or months, while the higher level spells need years of training in Thaumaturgy. All spells other than lower level spells have an incantation, but the incantation can be discarded when casting, which results in faster casting time, but less power. However, depending on the levels of Magecraft of every individual, an incantation-less spell can even be stronger than a spell with its incantation. Personally, I prefer Hadō, because who doesn't like blowing things up?

I rolled over, my body still aching, as Tamamo slid into the futon next to me.

"You know…I can help you with that aching body of yours, Kousuke~ In fact, you don't even have to do anything, I'll do all~ the~ work~"

At this point, I was too tired to even reject or fight her off, and I would probably recover faster this way, so I just accepted. All in all, it was definitely an eventful night.

* * *

WISEUP: Servant status added.

**CASTER**

Master: Yagami Kousuke

True Name: Tamamo-no-Mae

Weight/Height: 49kg/163cm

Sex: Female

Alignment: Neutral Evil

STR: D

END: D

AGI: B

MAG: A+

LUC: C+

NP: B

Class Abilities-

Territory Creation: A-

Territory Creation is the skill to build a special terrain that is advantageous to oneself as a magus. At A- Rank, creation of a "Temple", which is superior to a "Workshop", becomes possible. Caster's original rank in this ability is C, but being summoned by a suitable Master, summoned with the proper catalyst, and the presence of Japanese soil has increased Caster's rank to A-.

Item Construction: B-

Item Construction is the skill to manufacture magical items. At B Rank, Caster is able to make various magical artifacts of great power, but items like potions of limited immortality are beyond her reach.

Skills

Witchcraft: EX

Witchcraft is the Dakini heavenly methods. It includes methods to discern one's time of death and secret arts to obtain influence, such as methods to attain status and fortune (for men) and methods to gain the favor of influential individuals (for women). However by lamenting harshly learning from experience in the past, Caster does not feel like making much use of this

Shapeshifting: A

Shapeshifting refers to both borrowing bodies and appearance change. A method used by the millenary spirits of foxes and badgers of China that are put on par with Tamamo-no-Mae. Caster's particular take on shapeshifting is similar to that stated in the Fengshen Yanyi, but once again, Caster does not feel like making much of an use of this due a trauma of the past, but if needed, she will do so.

Divinity: A-

Divinity is the measure of whether one has Divine Spirit aptitude or not. At high levels one is treated as a mixed race of a Divine Spirit, and the level declines when the Heroic Spirit's own rank as a Monster, Demonic Beast raises. It can also decrease due one's dislike for the gods. It also has an effect which reduces special defensive values called "purge defense" in proportion to the Divinity's Rank. It can break through Skills such as Protection of the Faith. As a facet of Amaterasu, Caster has a high Divinity rank.

High Speed Incantation: B

High Speed Incantation is the capacity to recite spells at high speeds. At B Rank, Caster can recite incantations eight times faster than normal.

Magic Resistance: B

Magic Resistance grants protection against magical effects. Differently from the Resistance effect that merely rejects prana, this ability cancels the spells altogether. At B Rank, spells with a chant below three verses are cancelled. Even if targeted by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals, it is difficult for Caster to be affected.

Monstrous Strength: ?

Monstrous Strength is an ability possessed by monsters and beasts, temporary boost of the Strength parameter by one rank for a time limit determined by the ranking of this skill. In Caster's case however, the rank of this skill is unknown, for she never uses it and denies even having it. It is only known that when Caster uses this skill, her physical state changes to one which is worthy of the title 'One of the Three Great Monsters of Japan'.

Noble Phantasm

Tokoyo Sakisaku Daisakkai-**Higanbana Sesshōseki**

After her death, Tamamo-no-Mae turned into a rock named Sesshōseki, which was tinged with a terrible curse-toxin and caused the humans and animals that approached it to die from poisoning. It was originally located in the plateau of Nasu, Tochigi, but later it was broken by a virtuous priest named Monk Gennou and then scattered in three locations in Japan that were called Takada. Furthermore, the remnants that were scattered at that occasion became Osaki Kitsunes and Inukamis and said to have been turned into familiars by many wizards from various places. When Caster activates this Noble Phantasm, she materializes the Sesshōseki and strikes the enemy with it. Any human, animal, plant, or familiar will die if it is struck by it. When a Servant is struck by it however, it will be both cursed and poisoned. The severity of the curse depends on the Servant's Magic Resistance and any skills the Servant may have which lessens the effects of curses while the severity of the poison depends on the Servant's Endurance. The poison lowers the ranks of the Servant's Parameters while the curse lowers the ranks of the Servant's Class Abilities and Skills. The drawback is that Caster has to get within punching range of the enemy to use it, for it cannot be thrown.

Rank: C-A

Type: Anti-Unit

Range: 1

Maximum Targets: 1 person

Suiten Nikkou Amaterasu Yanoshisu Ishi-**Yata no Kagami**

This Noble Phantasm is a mirror that Tamamo-no-Mae wears on her body. It is the temporarily released form of the Tamamo Shizu Ishi, a sacred regalia among sacred regalia, which was enshrined at Izumo after being brought from heaven by "Takehinateru-no-Mikoto." According to the descriptions of the Nihon Shoki, it was taken from Izumo at the order of the Imperial Court and then later enshrined at Kawachi. It possibly later came to be known as the Yata no Kagami, the divine repository of Amaterasu, and it is thought to be the prototype of the Tokusa-no-Kandakara of the Mononobe clan, which holds the power to revitalize souls and life-force. Once its function as a Noble Phantasm is activated, she summons a circle of levitating ofuda surrounded by a number of glowing torii, charges the mirror with prana, and stands in the middle of the circle to draw in the prana. It is normally a divine treasure of the land of the dead, an EX rank Noble Phantasm, that can even bring the deceased back to life, but the Servant form of Caster hasn't been granted the authority to use that much power. While it is activated, Caster draws in and receives near infinite amounts of prana. All spells cast will be about 10 times stronger with only 10% of the prana expended by Caster herself. However, it can only be maintained for 15 minutes, and all the enemy Servant can do is hope to survive.

Rank: A

Type: Anti-Army

Range: 3-30

Maximum Targets: 100 people

* * *

And so, there we have it, the Kousuke and Tamamo's first epic battle in the fanfic. There will definitely be more to come, and more secrets about Kousuke will be slowly revealed, one by one! By the way, can you spot all the things I stole? It's probably really easy. Also, I cannot believe I now have 10 favorites and 12 followers on just the second chapter. That's the most I've ever gotten on the second chapter of any of my given fics! Once again, thanks for reading, review, favorite, follow, and hopefully, I'll be able to churn out another chapter soon! Actually, probably not that soon, because I have A LOT of other stuff to do. BUT, sooner or later I will definitely come back to continue this, but till then, stay fluffy.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Shadows**

And now, we've arrived at that point in time, where our false Assassin gets murdered. Thank you for reading.

Disclaimer: KINOKOOOOOOOOOO

* * *

-Kousuke-

-Day 5, 4th December (Monday), Morning, Guest house-

Once again, I woke up to the early morning sunlight and the sounds of birds chirping.

"Ah, goshuujin-sama, ohayou! Shirou-san called this morning, just to check if the number was working."

"I see then. Wait, you answered?!"

"Hai! He was really surprised!"

"I see…"

I looked at the calendar.

"Let's see…its Monday. He should be at school by now."

"School? Who attends school during a Grail War?"

Caster giggled.

"Not you, obviously."

"Whatever…anyway, my new goal for tomorrow, wake up earlier than Caster!"

"Fufu…I'll always make sure you fail at that…"

"You damn fox…"

XXX

-Shirou-

-Homurahara Gakuen-

"Morning, Shirou."

"Ah, morning, Issei."

After that run-in with Tohsaka, I went to my class and was greeted by Issei. Hmm…maybe I should ask…

"Issei?"

"Yes?"

"I heard there was a guest staying over at Ryuudouji?"

"Yes, I'm surprised you know. Apparently they're old family friends."

"I see."

"Why did you ask though? Do you know them?"

"No, just wondering."

Before Issei could continue asking, Taiga-sensei surprised us all by entering class before the bell rang. Homeroom started as usual.

-Rooftop-

After finally having settled the business about Sakura with Tohsaka, she changes the topic with a sigh.

"Well, now that I've handled you, I still have the problem with Ryuudouji."

"I see…wait, Ryuudouji?!"

That's where Kousuke and Caster are!

"Yes, I've confirmed that there is a Master-Servant pair up there. The temple is right on top of one of Fuyuki's main leylines, so they have a very advantageous position. They aren't doing anything yet, but I'm still keeping close watch on the hill.

As she talked, I thought furiously. What do I do? Do I tell Tohsaka about Kousuke? Or do I tell Kousuke about Tohsaka? Or do I do both?! I've made a truce with him, but Tohsaka is my classmate, and-

"Well, you owe me one, Emiya-kun. I told you something you didn't know."

Eh? What?! Something? But I…ok, calm down Shirou. Calm. Just like Saber. Breathe and think carefully.

"Wh-What? I told you about Shinji too! That should make us even."

"Oh, that's been paid for with the advice about Sakura. Or what? You didn't mean those thanks you gave me?"

"Ugh…"

She's a devil! She really is a devil! Don't let her fool you everyone! The school's peace is in danger!

"Well, what should I take? Equivalent exchange is standard for magi. Do you get it now? You have no information to give me, so tell me Saber's true iden-"

"I guess I can't help it. You haven't eaten right? I'll give you half of this."

Giving Tohsaka half of my bread, I also gave her my whole can of tea reluctantly as a symbol of my sincerity.

"Hey…wait, Emiya-kun?"

"Here, eat up. The cafeteria's closed by now. It should fill you up a bit."

"….."

Does she not like it? She looks astonished.

"…Thanks. Then I won't hold myself back."

XXX

-Kousuke-

"These croquettes are tasty~ Convenient stores really are convenient~"

"I know. But which one is the best, that is the question."

"If that's the case, we'll just have to try all of them, right?"

"Oi, you'll get fat."

"I dare you to say that again, wa-ga-a-ru-ji~"

I shivered as I felt cold fury directed towards me like a multitude of icicles.

"I'm am terribly, absolutely sorry."

"Good~"

Once again, the two of us were wandering in town, when we saw something.

"Hold still!"

"Eh-uwaah!"

I immediately ducked into an alleyway and pulled Caster along with me.

"What is it?"

"There."

Poking our heads around the corner, we saw it. Shirou with his arms laden with groceries was walking with the Einzbern Master.

"Are the Servants around?" I asked in a small whisper.

"No, neither are."

"I see."

"What will we do?"

"…She doesn't seem to be ready to kill him. In fact, she looks happy. But still, it's dangerous for us. Let's return."

"Understood, Master."

XXX

-Midnight-

"Haah!"

"Master?! What's wrong?!"

Caster and I were out patrolling when suddenly, a hot sear ran across the back of my left hand.

"It's Assassin! Something's wrong!"

"Eh?! Master! Wait!"

And without waiting for Caster, I ran off.

"Kojirou-sama, please hang in there!"

XXX

A high-pitched sound rang out.

The brilliant moonlight glinted off the drawn sword as it clattered to the ground.

"….Hah…"

Blood was on his lips.

The man on his knees on the stone steps bids his longsword goodbye as it fell out of his reach.

His arms are the next to fall.

Wet with blood, the elegantly-patterned fabric of his battlecoat looks like a giant red flower.

"My…I did not think you were of the serpent's kind."

In steep contrast to his bloody body, his lips are white. Neither breath nor blood passes his throat now. Sasaki Kojirou's internal organs no longer serve their original purpose.

The mountain gate is quiet.

The Servant that guarded the place,

The shadow that appeared…

Neither of them moved.

But the battle had already ended.

Assassin was defeated by 'someone' who came up the stone steps.

He had no time to identify the intruder as an enemy, let alone cross swords.

This 'someone' was on a different level to begin with.

Assassin's body burst open.

Torn, mutilated and weaponless, he could not even take his own life.

The shadow approached.

It stroked Assassin's cheek with a scornful cherishing gesture.

A deformed, spider-like hand came out of his stomach.

His bones cracked.

His flesh ripped apart.

It feels as if his organs were becoming someone else's.

"Guh!"

Assassin suppressed the regurgitating blood.

The swordsman swallowed the blood and smiled with his pale lips.

"Very well, do as you wish. After all, this is coming out of me. I'm sure it's nothing noble…"

He smiled, even though he is denied an honorable death.

If one talks about a grand spectacle…

His smile was grander than the spawning of the abomination.

And thus it was summoned.

Taking the false Servant's flesh as its own, the true Assassin entered the world.

"Kiki…kikiki…kikikikiki!"

His first cries sounded like that of an insect.

For the false Assassin, his battle was over. But for another, it was well underway.

"Hadō: Byakurai!"

As the black insect was devouring the ravaged corpse of Sasaki Kojirou, a huge, sizzling bolt of white lightning streaked through the air, requiring him to avoid it.

"You…WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

And standing defiant, before the fallen corpse, was its Master.

"You…you must be a real Assassin…AM I RIGHT?!"

His angry yells rang through the night. The Assassin however, despite not consuming the entirety of the corpse, had gained enough knowledge to recognize itself, and the world around it.

"Kikiki…sO tHIs Was youR SeRVaNt? Kikiki…"

"You'll pay for this…Assassin."

"OH? NoT if I KiLL yoU FIrSt!"

However, as Assassin was about to strike, another entered the fray.

"Reppa Fūjin!"

A huge, powerful gale smashed through the woods, forcing Assassin to retreat.

"Tch…I SEe…yOu Had TWo…foR Now, i sHALl RetrEAt. BuT sOON, aLl oF YoU shaLl FALL..."

The white-skull face retreated, but I could still hear the sounds of Caster blasting him through the forest. Hurriedly, I turned back to Kojirou and held him in my arms.

"Kojirou-sama! Hold on, please! I'll save you right away!"

I began pumping as much prana as I could into his lifeless body, but somewhere, in the back of my mind…I knew it was over for him.

"…Kousuke-sama…" he uttered in a faint voice "I truly apologize for having you see me in such a state…"

"Kojirou-sama, please, don't talk! Save your energy!"

He looked around.

"Where's…my sword?"

Looking around, I picked it up and gave it to him. How ridiculous it must have seemed, giving an armless man a sword. But, Kojirou shook his head.

"No…you take it. I no longer have any use for my sword…"

"Kojirou-sama! I'm sure Tamamo can fix-"

"We both know…I can no longer be saved…take my sword…my Monohoshizao…use it…and triumph in this war…"

"Kojirou-sama…"

Suddenly, he smiled at me, as his body began disappearing into motes of light from the feet up.

"I might have been…a fictional character…but…I truly appreciated…the past few days you spent with me…I have no doubt…you will make a great family leader…Kousuke…"

"Kojirou…"

And just like that, he vanished. The fictional swordsman, Sasaki Kojirou, had departed from this world.

XXX

-Shirou-

As Saber and I were nearing the stone steps of the temple, we both felt something incredibly wrong.

"Shirou, look out!"

Suddenly, a black blur which I almost mistook as a natural shadow, dashed down the steps and disappeared to the right, and just seconds later, the area at the bottom of the stone steps exploded in a blast of jade prana.

"Jushō: Mitsuten!"

We watched as Caster bounded down the stairs.

"Saber! Shirou!"

"Caster! What happened?!"

"It's Assassin!"

"Assassin?!" exclaimed Saber.

"Which way did he go?!"

"That way!"

As Caster was about to run after her, I stopped her.

"Wait, Caster, where's Kousuke?"

Suddenly, she looked shocked and turned back around.

"Goshuujin-sama?!"

After a few seconds of silence, she panicked.

"I'm not getting any kind of response from him!"

"Caster, you go check on your Master! Saber and I will go after Assassin!"

"Eh?! Th-Thank you very much!"

And she ran back up the stairs. I looked at Saber.

"Let's go, Saber!"

"Yes, we should not delay."

XXX

-Caster-

"Go…Goshuujin-sama!"

I ran up the stairs as fast I could, but when I arrived, I saw Kousuke, kneeling on the stair platform, covered in blood.

"Kousuke! Are you hurt?!"

"…No."

"Thank goodness…?"

Looking up, I saw a multitude of tiny specks of indigo light float into the sky before disappearing.

"Kousuke-sama…"

Slowly, my Master stood up, and in his right hand was Sasaki Kojirou's nodachi.

"…did he…die?"

"…Yes…there was no way to save him…his body was used to summon the true Assassin."

As he said that, he walked past me down the stairs.

"Let's go…Tamamo."

Turning around, all I could see was his tall figure striding down the stairs, and at that moment, his whole aura had changed completely. From a calm, gentle aura to an aura that was radiating with cold, blazing fury.

"It's time to fight back."

XXX

-Shirou-

In the end, we were unable to find Assassin, and on our way back, we ran into Kousuke and Caster.

"Sorry, we weren't able to find Assassin."

"It's alright. You did your best."

"Well then, we shall be taking our leave now."

As the two turned to leave, Kousuke suddenly spoke up again.

"Shirou…I have a favor to ask of you."

"Yes?"

"If…you ever find Assassin's whereabouts…do not kill him."

"Eh?! Why?!"

"Because…Assassin…is my enemy."

"?"

"I will find him…I will find him…and I will kill him. I shall avenge Kojirou-sama…no matter what it takes."

They started leaving.

"Goodnight, Emiya Shirou. I fear that this war may not go as smoothly as it should."

And they left, leaving me in confusion.

XXX

-Caster-

We were back in our room. Kousuke was lying silently on my side, his back facing me. The death of Kojirou must have hit him quite hard.

"…Kousuke-sama?"

"Yes?"

"Are you…angry at me?"

"Why would I?"

"Because…I failed to catch Assassin…"

"No…I'm angry at myself…for failing…"

He turned over to face the ceiling.

"It's just…he met his untimely death so early…and he was quite disliked by most of our family. I just wanted…to give him a new life…to start over."

"Kousuke…is it possible that you intended to summon him when we did the summoning that day?"

"Yes."

"I see."

Not knowing what else to say, I moved over and embraced by beloved Master.

"Tamamo?"

"It's alright…Kousuke…we'll find Assassin…and we'll make him pay for what he did…to our family."

He was surprised for a while, but then he returned my embrace.

"Thank you, Tamamo."

XXX

-Kousuke-

-Day 6, 5th December (Tuesday), Morning, Guest house-

This morning, I woke up early. Much earlier than Tamamo in fact. So, I finally had a chance to make breakfast.

"Ah…that's right, breakfast for two from now on."

As I was cutting some radish, my cellphone rang. Looking at the ID, I answered.

"Is this Shirou?"

"No, it's me."

"Saber?!"

"Yes. You sound surprised."

"No, I'm just surprised that you knew how to use a phone. I was too when I heard Caster answer the phone that day."

"Shirou taught me how to use it, just in case."

"I see. Well, what is it?"

"Shirou has caught a cold. I do not know when he'll recover, so we might not be able to help in the search for Assassin."

"I see. That aside, you must trust us pretty well to inform us."

"Yes. I have had enough interaction with you and Caster to know that you can be trusted. But, I have a question."

"What is it, Saber?"

"…I have seen many men obsessed with revenge in my time. And from your reactions last night, I have determined that you want revenge against Assassin."

"…"

"Kousuke-san. You mustn't be swallowed up by revenge. I do not know the reasons behind your revenge, but I have seen many a man felled in his course of vengeance."

I gave a small sigh and smiled.

"Thanks for the advice, Saber. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Now, I must check on Shirou. Goodbye."

"Bye."

She hung up. Saber really is a good person. I wouldn't mind another short spar with her in the future, but next time with Caster Reinforcing my body.

"Mmmm…eh? Kousuke, you're awake already?"

"Yup. And today is my turn to cook, so no stealing my job from me, got it?"

"Boo. Alright, let's just see how good you are at cooking, goshuujin-sama~"

-Later, Afternoon-

"Wow, this is quite surprising."

I walked into the guest house's storeroom, where Tamamo had set up her Temple, and it was ten times bigger than it should be, because of some ridiculously advanced spatial expansion Bounded Field she used which took two days to set, place and stabilized. Hanging on all the walls were all the mirrors Caster used for surveillance, and here and there were low tables covered in various objects. In the middle of the floor was a large magic circle which Caster had just finished drawing.

"What's this?"

"This is an automated tracking Bounded Field. It actively tracks the movements of all magical beings within a 25km radius. But I haven't fine-tuned it yet, so the accuracy is that great, it's only able to pinpoint the target within a 1km radius."

"I see. Maybe I should try my own version as well."

Getting out a bag of black powder which I brought with me, I drew a circle with the appropriate symbols set apart in four quadrants on the ground in a corner of the room. Then, I began the incantation.

"minami no shinzō, kita no hitomi, nishi no yubisaki, higashi no kibisu, kaze mochite tsudoi ame haraite chire"

The circle started glowing blue, and in my mind I could see various numbers flashing past before my eyes. The symbols within the circle started animating, but soon I cut off the spell without saying its name and the light faded.

"Is that a tracking spell, goshuujin-sama?"

"Yes. Bakudō: Kakushitsujaku. It doesn't have great range, but it has extreme accuracy. Also, the more you train with it, the further your range. How long you maintain the spell also increases the range. My maximum is only a 15km diameter though."

"That's quite amazing actually, goshuujin-sama!"

"Well, I was thinking that if you could examine it and find a way to add it into your tracking Bounded Field."

"I see! As expected of my goshuujin-sama!"

-Night-

"Finally…it's night."

"Hmm?"

Opening my suitcase, I began changing. A dark-blue, long sleeved shirt, black pants, sandals, and a pair of black fingerless gloves. Also, I placed two pouches on my back of my waist and two sets of holsters at the sides of knees. Instead of wearing any armor under my clothes, they were Reinforced with runes, just like my other clothes.

"Goshuujin-sama…you look an awful lot like a ninja now."

I explained to Caster. The second family head, the founder's eldest son was out walking in the forest one day when he found an unconscious, injured woman. He brought her home and treated her. When she woke up, she tried to kill him before he explained who he was. Then, she told him about herself. She was a kunoichi, a female ninja, named Kaede, from a relatively small ninja clan, the Amanojaku clan, named after the yōkai of the same name. Her clan however, was too small to sustain themselves, and they were rarely hired. Then, the second head proposed to her. He said, 'If you agree to marry me, then I will accept your clan into our family, and in turn you will work for us, as well as train new generations of shinobi.' Kaede agreed, and they married into our family. Although it was just a convenient marriage for them at first, she started loving the second head for real, and her clan has been part of our lineage ever since.

"Wow, that's interesting. But, I thought you were more samurai-ish, Kousuke?"

"All children are given basic training when young, but at the age of seven they are given a choice of which to pursue. Swordsmanship, ninjutsu, or a regular life. My oldest sister chose the path of a ninja. In her own words, she said, 'I want to support my siblings from behind, just like a good older sister'. But some of us, through hard and extensive training, can train in both paths."

"Really? Goshuujin-sama is definitely more amazing than I thought!"

Yes. In fact, you could have no Magic Circuits but have the Mystic Eyes of Empowerment, just like Ayumi. The opposite is also true. But there is more to it though. That however, is a story for another time.

"Sorry Caster, but can you stay in spirit form, that way, my movements will be less hindered."

"It's all right, goshuujin-sama! Let's go!"

-Fuyuki City, Rooftops-

In quick fluid motions, I ran across the rooftops of the houses, making as little noise as possible, with Caster hovering at my back in spirit form.

"Anything, Caster?

"No, not yet, let's keep going."

As I continued crossing the rooftops, I just couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was about to happen tonight.

"Master, I found something!"

"What is it?!"

"It's quite far, I think it's in the other area of town!"

"Lead the way."

-Fuyuki City, Shinto Town-

From the rooftop, I saw it. A Servant dressed in black with long, light-purple hair was drinking the blood of a young woman!

"Caster, I'll grab her attention. Prepare a spell or something similar!"

"Master, wait!"

Activating my Mystic Eyes, I threw a few shuriken at her as I jumped off the roof!

"Uh!"

The Servant immediately noticed my attack and jumped out of the way, leaving the unconscious Servant on the ground. She's fast. Really fast! Faster than Saber, even! That aside, I already knew who the other six Servants were, so-

"You are Servant Rider, I presume."

"You…are no Servant. A Master? Challenging a Servant? You've got guts."

"Don't underestimate me, Rider. I'm not a normal Master."

"We'll see."

As I pulled out a pair of tanto, Rider materialized a nail dagger attached to a long chain with the ring at the end. And then, we began. Dashing at me, I sprinted to the right. Damn, she was fast! Thankfully, I was able to catch her movements with my Mystic Eyes.

"Uhk!"

I moved to the left as her dagger shot towards me, and as she pulled it back I knocked it off course, but she jumped up and caught it in her hand! Backtracking, I watched as she landed on all fours and carefully surveyed her surroundings. Her movements were just like that of a snake.

"You certainly are interesting…well then, are you prepared for more?"

"Bring it."

And we continued. Dashing throughout the area, most of the battle consisted of Rider throwing her dagger at me while I avoided and deflected it. And in a sudden change of tactics, she rushed at me and struck with her dagger! As I crossed blades with her, I could feel great power behind her eye mask, so I concluded that she had powerful Mystic Eyes hidden behind them. So, new plan. If she ever attempts to remove the mask, distract her immediately. Shuriken, Hadō, whatever.

"Tch."

Suddenly, the dagger flew at me even faster than before, and although I avoided it, Rider was suddenly behind me!

"Crap!"

I just managed to avoid a slash from the dagger, but I received a kick in return which sent me reeling, but I managed to stay on my feet. This won't do, I needed a new tactic to fight her. Taking notice of a numerous trees planted in the area, I formulated a new strategy. As we sprinted around the area, I put away my tanto and began throwing kunai. Although she dodged all of them, that wasn't my true goal.

After a few minutes, I had thrown about ten kunai, leaving me with only one left. Good, now all that's left is to lure her in place.

"Hah!"

Managing to deflect the dagger once more, I jumped out of the area as Rider dashed in. Did she notice? I hope not. As I landed, I immediately pulled with my hands. I had tied incredibly durable, razor sharp steel wire to the kunai which I threw into the trees. Now that I had pulled them tight, the wires should slow her down, even if just by a little bit.

"Tch, how did she do that."

But with superhuman reactions, she moved all of her limbs so that none of them were in contact with the wires.

"You're not bad…I never thought there would be a human this skilled."

"Oh, I'm not done yet."

Tilting my head to me left, I pulled out a match from a hidden pocket on my left shoulder and struck it against the abrasive surface of said pocket. See, those wires were already soaked in flammable oil, and all it needed was just a bit of fire.

"!"

I watched as the match ignited the oiled wire and flames rushed down the wires, setting the whole network ablaze with Rider in it. Just as I let out a breath, an attack to fast to see sped towards me.

"Guargh!"

I flinched as the dagger stabbed right into my left shoulder and grabbing it with my left hand, I watched as Rider jumped out of the blaze, holding onto the other end.

"You took the blaze just to launch a surprise attack…but I anticipated this too! Hadō: Tsuzuri Raiden!"

Instantly, a burst of electric-like prana sped down the conducting chain, and right into Rider, before she could react.

"Ugh!"

"Caster!"

Suddenly appearing from behind me, Caster held out both hands.

"This spell takes a while to form, but it was worth it!"

Rider and I watched as suddenly, massive pillars of ice started circling and closing in on Rider!

"Sennen Hyōrō."

And at and amazing speed, the ice pillars sped towards Rider and met with a massive crash!

"Did you get her?" I asked as I removed the dagger.

"Tch, no, she's still alive, but I got her."

The icy cloud faded and it revealed Rider, stuck with a crushed right arm and leg within the icy prison. If she had been a little slower, we would have got her. As we were about to finish her however, we were struck by a sense of danger.

"That was-"

"-Back from the temple! Let's go!"

"Right!"

And thus, we sped back to Ryuudouji, with Caster healing my wound on the way back.

XXX

-Back at Ryuudouji, while Kousuke and Caster are away-

The shadow wavered.

The black Servant sunk to the ground,

Then sprung up in an instant as he threw more daggers.

Somehow, while Caster and her Master were absent, Assassin had managed to sneak back into the temple, probably to gather intel on the two, but his timing was impeccably off, for at that same moment, another Servant had been sent to investigate.

It was Lancer.

After a brief skirmish which ended in Lancer smashing Assassin's chin, Assassin retreated to the back of the temple. If his leap is that of a deer, his movements are those of a spider, a snake, or a scorpion. Even while keeping his face hidden, this Servant is as fast as Lancer when it comes to retreat.

But Lancer's charge was still the fastest.

It is a disgrace to take even a minute to corner his enemy.

"Damn…I know I destroyed his throat, but he's persistent. It doesn't seem like it healed, so he must be drugged…"

The enemy glided across the water like a spider, and Lancer pursued him. In contrast, water sprayed from his footsteps, but his speed was far greater.

"Hmph. If I'd known the pain wouldn't stop him, I would have cut his joints. I put that off since it doesn't work against other opponents, but…"

It is fatal for a human to be cut at the joints, where the main arteries lie. If the arteries are severed, death from severe bleeding would follow. But that is only in normal combat. You cannot expect a Servant, a heroic spirit, to die from excessive bleeding. As their lifeforce is magical energy, cutting their arteries does not have much effect. The loss of a limb is another story, but cutting off a Servant's limbs is a difficult task. Doing so will likely cause you to lose your own head in the progress.

"Hashish, huh? I bet a heroic spirit who relies on drugs has no healing powers. I'll end this fight with me next attack."

Water splashes with lightning speed. His next attack will strike in two more seconds. He tensed, then struck at his fleeing enemy's left leg-

"!"

With a start, Lancer jumped back from the water's surface.

-Water exploded upward.

No, something beneath the water is snarling.

Black tendrils snaked out of the water, reaching for the spearman.

Is it because this creature dwelled underwater?

It seemed to resemble a deep-sea monster from ancient times.

"WHAT THE-"

Lancer had nowhere to run. He instantly carved all his runes on the bottom of the lake to create a Bounded Field, but unlike those of Caster's, it was easily penetrated.

The dark tentacles were closing in from all sides, and his territory was shrinking by the second. The protection from all his runes, which can even block a great Noble Phantasm, does not even slow down the penetration.

Watching Lancer-

"WHaT iS WrOng, LAncEr? It wILl SwaLLow yOu if yOU Do nOT MoVe."

Assassin sneered.

But even the sneering spider is no exception.

It seems these tendrils must engulf everything they can reach, as the spider did not approach the dark water.

He knew that if he drew nearer, they would take interest in new prey.

"BuT I wiLL nOt aLLow THat. I MuST KiLL You. I nEEd mOrE EXperIenCE. I sHaLL KiLL YoU To aDD tO mY iNtELLigeNCe."

The spider's dagger glimmered.

The weapon about to be released is just a projectile.

But is it not meaningless?

Even though Lancer is surrounded by ghastly limbs, projectiles are meaningless against him.

"You don't give up, do you? Well, I can understand why you feel that way"

Lancer observed the ghastly limbs around him.

He was lured quite far in, but it's only about 30 metres to the opposite shore.

He should be easily able to jump across that distance!

"You lost because you wouldn't move from there. I'm done with my investigation, so I'm out of here.

Lancer crouched low and braced his lance against the ground.

Using it as support, he vaulted into the air.

There…

"Wh—at?"

He is struck by the simplest of attacks.

A fake heart was taken out of Lancer's chest.

Assassin had directly gouged out Lancer's heart from the opposite shore, an impossible range.

It is the purest magic, the simplest curse.

It is the 'cursed hand', a magic of the Middle East, specialized in cursing people.

Assassin's Noble Phantasm, Zabaniya.

It surely destroys Lancer's heart, and the powerless body of the spearman falls back into the black water.

The surface boiled.

It was hectic, ferocious, and vulgar.

You would not see such a gruesome meal even if meat was thrown into a cage of starving beasts.

Numerous black limbs eliminated the human-shaped heroic spirit.

Consuming.

Devouring.

Making it one of its own.

And watching it in delight as he stood on the shore of the lake,

The faceless Servant swallowed the heart of his prey with satisfaction.

XXX

-Kousuke-

-Ryuudouji-

Finally, we arrived at the temple. But the atmosphere was terrible. So terrible, that I almost felt like puking.

"Caster…"

"Yes. It's coming from the lake behind the temple."

"How are the people inside the temple?"

"They're all alive…but I can't guarantee it if they stay here any longer…what do we do now, Master?"

"We leave. We'll stay the night in a hotel. Tomorrow morning we'll return, and the first thing we do is get everyone out of the temple. Then, we'll check your mirrors."

"Alright. Understood, Master."

And thus, we turned around and left to find a decent hotel in Fuyuki. I was right. Something was happening in this war, and I didn't like it.

* * *

There's goes the next chapter! And where is our Tsukihime Remake?! It's been too long! And Ataraxia's translation has been stuck at 99% for too long! What are they doing?! And Mahoyo as well! That one definitely needs to be sped up. Well, we're back at the end of another chapter. Once again, thank you for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and following! Thus, we shall meet again in another chapter! And I've decided to drop the capitalism thing. I haven't played Recettear in a while anyway ( -.-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Death of a Great Warrior**

More Servants dying. Soon we'll only be left with the most important ones relevant to the fic. And yes, Goldie still gets eaten by Angra. No one likes him anyway (lol)

WARNING: Before anyone reads and complains about it, this chapter is about what happens on Day 7 (Saber+Archer VS Zouken) and Day 8 (Saber VS Assassin). There is barely any action from Kousuke or Caster, so except for some minor storyline tweaks to adjust for the different Caster, it's pretty much identical to the actual VN. So unless you're completely bored or forgot about the contents of the route, feel free to read on, but don't say I didn't warn you. And for those of you who didn't completely forget the route, but wonder if you want to skip this, I'll summarize it. Saber gets eaten by the shadow. There you go.

EXTRA WARNING: Seriously, read the above warning again. Even after reading the warning and you want to read the chapter but find that it has less new content than you thought and feel dissatisfied and want to review with an extremely long rant and complaint, it's all your own fault.

Disclaimer: Kohappi~

* * *

-Kousuke-

-Day 7, 6th December (Wednesday), Ryuudouji-

After leaving the hotel, I made straight for Ryuudouji with Caster. Upon our arrival, we noticed that the sickening feeling had lessened somewhat, but still lingered in the air. After requesting an audience with the head monk, we told him that he and the monks had to evacuate as soon as possible.

"May I know the reason?"

"Something terrible is brewing in Fuyuki," I answered "A great disaster is about to happen."

"I see…I understand. I'll call my son home from school and inform the monks immediately."

"Thanks you for your understanding and cooperation."

To be honest, I was surprised that they agreed so willingly. In the worst case scenario, I would have Caster hypnotize all the monks and have them leave. I didn't want to, but I had too. Sighing, the head monk spoke.

"In the past, terrible things have happened in this city. And with each passing event, they have gotten worse and worse."

Suddenly, the head monk bowed at us.

"Yagami-sama, please save our city. I beg of you. In our absence, you may use our temple in any way you want."

"…You have my word."

-Guest house-

With all the monks evacuated safely, Caster began making breakfast while I fell onto the futon with a groan. My whole body was sore and aching from last night's skirmish, and even after Caster healed my shoulder wound, my brain still remembered the feeling of Rider's dagger piercing my flesh. Slowly, I inched towards one of my bags, making sure Caster didn't notice me.

XXX

-Caster-

"Hm hm hm~"

Since we rushed back to the temple early in the morning, we hadn't had breakfast yet, so I was now preparing it for the both of us. Yesterday was a stressful night for me…even though Kousuke said that he would be doing melee combat while I fully Reinforced his body and augmented his physical skills while preparing my own spells, I still don't like seeing him fighting…Servants are supposed to fight Servants, not Masters. That aside, Master really is incredible…even with all that magical enhancement, he is still a human, and he's able to fight Servants at the most basic level…but every morning after we encounter a Servant, Master doesn't show it, but I know that his body is aching from the exertion…I really have to talk to him about changing our battle strategy…eh? What's that smell? This is…blood?!

"Goshuujin-sama?!"

XXX

-Kousuke-

I hastily turned around as I heard Tamamo call my name and stuffed the empty pack back into the bag.

"Yes, Tamamo?"

"I smelt blood! Are you alright?"

"Yes, why? You must have imagined it."

"If you say so…goshuujin-sama…"

I watched as Caster went back into the kitchen and let out a small sigh. Usually, I would only do this whenever Tamamo wasn't anywhere near me, but I needed it this morning.

"Well, I guess I should go help her…"

XXX

-Shirou-

-Homurahara Gakuen-

Once again, I was up on the rooftop with Tohsaka. Because I skipped school the day after she told me about her suspicions about Ryuudouji, she thought that I had went to the temple to face off with Caster and something had happened to me.

"So it was just a fever."

"Yeah, sorry for making you worried I guess."

"Well, I guess you must not be a complete idiot, since you didn't go running of to Ryuudouji after I gave you the information."

Tohsaka sighed.

"But still, what the hell is going on up there?"

"What do you mean?"

"Last night, a huge spike in mana levels was detected at the temple. But this morning it was back to normal."

"What?!"

A huge mana spike?! Did any Servants get into a fight at the temple? As I asked her that question, she replied.

"Most probably. But…it was strange…from what Archer told me, the mana wasn't a Servant's or a Master's."

"Really?"

"And that's not all. In the same night, Archer told me he saw a woman being attacked by what seemed to be a black shadow."

"Shadow?"

"Yes. He tried to save her, but the shadow escaped and the woman was already dead. It's most probably a Servant who did that."

Yeah…Assassin.

"I see…so, what do you think?"  
"Huh? Me?"

"Yeah, you think it's strange, don't you? I don't think you'll forfeit from the war. But don't you want to clear up all this stuff about Ryuudouji and the black shadow before you start fighting for the Holy Grail? You want to put off fighting Masters until after that?"

"You're right. This Holy Grail War is suspicious. It seems different from the one I heard about from my dad. I think there's something different going on where we can't see it."

"Then Tohsaka…"

"Yes, I won't follow the rules of the Holy Grail War until I'm convinced. It can't be helped if I'm being used, but I don't like not knowing the harm I may be imposing on others. You don't like such a thing right? So I'm not going to be fighting other Masters until I get this cleared up."

"I see…can I take this as a truce offer?"

"If you would accept it. If you won't fight me until this case is settled, then I won't hurt you either."

Tohsaka asked me silently with her eyes. She doesn't even need to ask.

"That's my line. I won't fight you as long as you don't come attacking me. And even if there comes a time when we do fight, it'll be fair and square. Until then-"

"Then it's decided. I expected you to agree, but I'm glad to hear it all the same."

"Huh?"

Tohsaka held out her right hand. I realized that she wanted to shake hands, so…

"Y-Yeah, please give me your best regards."

"All right, our contract is set. Please give me your best regards too, Emiya-kun."

-Night, Park-

"…!"

The instant I stepped into the park, the abnormal presence made me feel like vomiting. The air was polluted here. The stench of rot and decay seeped into my nose. My gastric juices were regurgitated just by standing there. The discomfort and dizziness almost broke my mind.

"Emiya-kun?!"

Saber and I were just as surprised as Tohsaka and Archer at each other's presence. But we weren't the only ones there.

"Hm? New enemies?"

And that old man, Matou Zouken. I understood the situation right away. Tohsaka was fighting Matou Zouken. I saw dozens of something so small I couldn't distinguish them surrounding Tohsaka. Archer had many more around him. It seemed that Matou Zouken used those things to attack them.

"Hm. Well if it isn't Saber's Master. So you've prepared a backup? For Tohsaka's daughter, you are surprisingly smart."

"You're wrong. Archer and I are more than enough to beat a confession out of you. They're just spectators. They have nothing to do with me."

Tohsaka continued to glare at Zouken, but her back was…

"_What were you thinking, coming at a time like this!? Do you want to die?!_"

…harshly scolding me.

"Shirou."

"I know. This isn't the time to be arguing with Tohsaka."

Just as how Tohsaka was not looking away from the old man, I could sense danger from him.

"Hm. I wanted to keep this hidden, but I guess it cannot be helped. I cannot survive against two Servants."

He made a sound with his cane. The instant it struck the bricks beneath his feet, something horrifying rose up from the ground before him.

"Th-Those things! How?!" exclaimed Tohsaka.

Emerging from the ground before him were a number of grotesque demons that seemed to be comprised of masses of tentacles with circular mouth-like openings marked with shark-like blades. Saber balked when she saw them, then yelled at Zouken.

"How is this possible?! They should have been completely destroyed when Caster was killed!"

"You know these creatures, Saber? That should not happen. Servants do not retain memories from previous wars. But I guess, you are an exception."

"Saber…what are those things?!"

"They're familiars…used by the Caster of the previous Grail War."

"What?!"

"Both the previous War's Caster and his Master were deranged, bloodthirsty maniacs. They held no regard for human life and conducted mass murder in the city. Those creatures were used by Caster in battle as well as to murder innocents…"

"That's horrible!"

Zouken nodded.

"Indeed. The problem was so serious, the Overseer of that War proclaimed that the Caster must be stopped before the War could continue, and was gave an extra Command Spell to the Master of the Servant who killed it. Right, Saber."

Saber simply stared him down.

"Answer me, how did you come into possession of them, let alone keep them alive for so long without their master?!"

"I was interested, in their nature, and somehow managed to capture some of them. Then, I learned that they would survive as long as they are fed on flesh, blood and prana. I was also delightfully surprised when they stayed alive after Caster's demise. And so, I continuously fed them with a healthy supply of fresh livestock and my prana until a day came where I would require their services."

"You!"

Enraged, Saber dashed at Zouken, but one of the tentacle monsters leapt at her. Of course, Saber easily sliced it in half, but the creature's insides let out a sickening cloud of purple fog which would have been deadly to a human, but was completely ignored by Saber. Slashing her way through the rest of the Horrors, Matou Zouken seemed to have disappeared. He sacrificed his eldritch abominations to escape. But-

"Archer!"

"Hm?!"

That was why Saber took care of the Horrors. Archer ignored them completely, pursued their controller, and…

"That's it."

Cut Matou Zouken's body in half.

"Guh-"

Zouken's upper body fell to the ground.

"Hm?! Ugh, my…"

A dragging sound. Even though blood and entrails were spilling out of his body, the old man still lived. He crawled across the ground with his arms, trying to get away from Archer.

"This is the end, magus. My past experiences have taught me to quickly finish off monsters like you."

Archer raised his falchion above Zouken. That was the end. No matter how immortal Matou Zouken was, he will die once his head is crushed. And he was almost dead already. It's not like he has self-healing powers like Servants, and his horrific wound was taking him closer to death every second. But unwilling to take any chances, Archer killed the magus with his sword.

"…What?"

No, he tried to kill Zouken but stopped. It's not only Archer who felt it. Everyone here did. Tohsaka, Saber, Archer and I. Even Matou Zouken, hovering on the edge of death, shuddered at its appearance.

Darkness covered the park.

The damp air froze in an instant.

My heart was beating at a higher pitch, but the rate was slower.

Something bad was close by.

So I had to run away.

I can't concern myself with that thing.

My body understood it instinctively, yet refused to move.

It was meaningless to run away.

My body knew that.

I moved my trembling body and turned my numb neck. I looked towards the entrance of the park. There…

…stood the 'shadow'.

Space was distorted. I wanted to believe it was just my imagination, a product of my disordered sense of balance caused by extreme tension. I've never seen anything like it. It's insubstantial, as if a shadow suddenly stood up. Its existence was so light that it could be blown away. And yet, its presence dominated the place. It lacked intelligence and reason, and probably wasn't even alive. The black shadow stood there like a mirage. So…

Why did I find it so familiar?

"Impossible."

I heard a hoarse voice. The only one able to speak here was the dying old man.

"Impossible, impossible, impossible!"

He crawled while screaming. Matou Zouken pulled himself away from Archer and out of the park. It's not that Zouken had that much strength left. It's just that…fear of the shadow drove him.

Nobody was able to move. Tohsaka and I stood still, transfixed with fear. Even Archer and Saber seemed entranced. It was like…a deep sea monster. The shadow swayed in the silent world where everything was still.

And…

It showed something like a will for the first time.

"Ah-"

It lacked limbs, eyes or a body. Yet it still cast a shadow at its base. Outlined by moonlight, the shadow began to stretch and elongate. Like a snake that had found its prey, it pointed at Tohsaka and-

"…"

Oblivious to the change, Tohsaka did not move. Saber was too far away. Archer had started running, but he would not make it in time.

"Toh-"

The shadow lashed out. Without showing any sign, the shadow abruptly covered tens of meters and…

"-saka, watch out!"

I frantically pushed Tohsaka aside.

"…-kun?!"

I couldn't hear her voice. The instant I pushed Tohsaka away, something engulfed me. A splashing sound and a sensation on something trying to crush my body.

"-Ah."

My presentiment wasn't wrong. Water had come crushing down on me, and I was now sinking into the sea.

But it's hot. This seawater was too hot. Boiling coal tar. It stuck to my skin and cut off my life, and I didn't feel like I was in the sea.

"Ah….guh….."

And the world turned to static, right before it turned to black.

-Some time later-

"…kun, Emiya-kun!"

"Agh…gu."

I woke up. My body was hot. My nausea wasn't fading, my head was shaking, and I couldn't even stand up by myself.

"Are you awake, can you tell who I am?!"

She slapped my cheeks.

"I can tell. Only Tohsaka would slap someone at a time like this."

"…Good. I guess you're alright if you can talk back like that."

…That was just my honest opinion right now.

"You idiot, why are you smiling? I'm not going to thank you, okay? Don't ever do that again. I can't return the favor if you die trying to save me."

She glared at me. But Tohsaka was still rubbing my back with one hand and holding my hand with the other to check my temperature.

"Tohsaka, what happened to that weird thing?"

"It disappeared. It vanished when you stepped onto the shadow and fainted…I think it came from over that way."

"I see. But I think I was entangled in it for a while."

"Really? It hasn't even been 10 seconds since you pushed me, see?"

"Shirou!"

Saber ran up to me.

"You acted reckless again!"

Saber supported me and pulled me away from Tohsaka.

"Get away, Archer's Master. I shall treat you as an enemy if you come any closer to my Master."

"What? I'm your enemy as well?"

"Of course. You are a Master, and Archer is with you. I do not know why Shirou protected you, but I cannot let you near my Master before my eyes."

Saber glared at Tohsaka. Crap, guess I never told Saber about our current truce.

"No, you're wrong Saber, we made a truce, and we're at peace now."

"But…understood. I will not fight her if that is your will."

"Yeah, I'm sorry…I can't talk anymore."

I endured the nausea and the chill that tried to get me unconscious. I have to get home before I faint. I have to stay conscious.

"So, you survived huh? Well you didn't touch the main body, so the most it could do was get you ill."

Archer approached. He was expressionless even though Zouken got away, and was the only calm one there.

"Archer. Do you know what that shadow is?"

"Who knows, But that shadow is definitely the one that has been draining the life from the townspeople lately."

He answered as if not interested. Then, Archer looked down at me, lying on the ground.

"It seems this is no time to pursue personal grudges. Is that right, Emiya Shirou?"

"What?"

"As for what that shadow was, your intuition was correct. Hmph. I am summoned as a Servant, but I'm to fight it after all."

"Archer…who are you?"

"I see…you are not a guardian yet. Then you must not have fought something like that before…It seems that I'll be doing the same thing no matter where I go."

The knight in red beckoned Tohsaka to go. But right before they left…

"No…it's not that hopeless. It has not occurred yet. I might be able to finish it beforehand, or I might end up cleaning after the event. I might have a chance of stopping it this time.

He looked up at the sky and murmured those words.

XXX

-Day 8, 7th December (Thursday), Emiya Household-

After talking to Saber and before leaving for school, I decided to give Kousuke a call. To tell him about what happened yesterday night. But, when I tried to…

"Save your breath. We already saw everything that happened there.'

"You did?! How?"

"My Servant is Caster. It's a bit late to tell you, but most of the streets of Fuyuki are under our surveillance. The only places where we can't watch are inside buildings and such."

"I see…do you know…what that shadow was?"

"Unfortunately, no. But, what we could tell was that that thing is extremely dangerous. Even through Caster's mirrors, we could feel its extreme evil from all the way over there."

"That's too bad…"

"I have something else to tell you. About Ryuudouji."

"What?"

"I have told all the monks in the temple to evacuate."

"Eh? Why?"

"I fear that there may be something potentially dangerous under the temple, especially near the lake. I had Caster place seals, barriers and Bounded Fields throughout the whole area, but there is no guarantee that we'll be able to keep it, whatever it is, at bay."

"I see…thanks. One of my friends lives at Ryuudouji. It's good to know that he'll be well away from this war."

"Is he the son of the head monk?"

"Yes, he is. Ryuudou Issei. Do you know him?"

"Yes, we have met, but we barely talked. Well anyway, I have to hang up now-"

"Ah, wait!"

"Yes?"

"I almost forgot. I have made a truce with Tohsaka as well."

"Tohsaka…the Second Owner?"

'Um…I think so. But she doesn't know about our truce yet."

"What kind of truce was it?"

"A ceasefire until we've figured out what is wrong with this war, especially that shadow."

"So? Do you expect us to meet up, at some point?"

"Well, that would be for the best."

'I see. What about tonight?"

Tonight? No…tonight Saber and I would attempt to go an challenge the shadow, so it wasn't a good idea.

"What about…tomorrow?"

"Alright then. I'll be looking forward to it, Shirou."

"Thanks for understanding. Bye."

And we hung up.

-Night-

Since I had divided the workload between myself and Tohsaka, tonight, Saber and I were to go search for the shadow and investigate it.

"So, where do we investigate, Shirou?"

"Well…Kousuke and Caster pretty much have Ryuudouji covered. If something appears there, they would realize instantly. So let's go search the city. We'll investigate the areas where most people have fallen unconscious."

"Very well Shirou. Let's go."

-Somewhere in Fuyuki-

Carefully, we entered the shrine. According to the evening news, the family that was taking care of this shrine fell into a coma around midnight, so we were now investigating it. Going through the compound and climbing up the entryway, we carefully walked through the dark wooden hallway, and the floor creaked with each step.

"Nothing seems strange…How about you, Saber?"

"It is the same for me. But, I can't help but feel like someone has been watching us…ever since we entered."

"Yeah…me too."

As we were about to walk behind the shrine, at that instant!

"Shirou!"

"Saber?!"

I was shoved into the shrine by Saber. Realizing that she just pushed me, I tried to go back out to the hallway, but the exit has been firmly shut by Saber!

"Saber?! What are you doing, you idiot?!"

I banged on the door. I had no idea what kind of magic it was, but the door was as hard as steel.

"Hey, what are you doing, Saber!?"

The door refused to budge, even when I threw my weight against it. And from the other side of the door-

"Please protect yourself there, Shirou! This opponent will only target you!"

"What?! Who's the enemy?! Is it that shadow?!"

"No! But this Servant is the natural enemy of Masters! I am sorry, but I cannot protect you at the battleground. I have to fight Assassin one-on-one, of he will kill you first!"

"Assassin?!"

I didn't even sense him! Wait, I have to call Kousuke!"

"…Tch, no signal."

"I will finish the battle with one blow. Please do not move until then!"

Saber's presence faded. Her footsteps were loud. She must have repelled Assassin's attacks as she charged within range.

"Damn."

Looking around, I picked up a stick the length of a sword and did my best to Reinforce it.

"Hurry…"

I have to make this into a sword and break down the door. An ominous feeling, a mysterious uneasiness, filled my mind. Although Saber could definitely handle Assassin on her own, for some reason it felt like a fatal mistake to leave Saber out there all alone, so I have to hurry and-!

"!?"

The lights went out. What little light that was shining into the shrine vanished. The moonlight has been blocked off by clouds.

"…!"

I smelt something. The smell of rotten meat and the sound of bugs flying around.

"…Matou Zouken."

I glared into the darkness.

"Hah. Talk about walking into a trap, young lad."

A snicker. That old magus. He was hiding somewhere.

"Saber…"

I readied the Reinforced weapon. I had no fear, even with a century-old monster in front of me. The only thoughts in my mind were that of concern for Saber.

XXX

She ran across the hallway to corner the skull mask. The fifteen metres between them have been reduced to five. Saber should be able to close in with one step and slash her enemy along with the skull mask.

But the enemy knew that as well. He used projectile weapons because he knewhe will be no match at close range, and he retreats because he did not want her coming near him. Although not as fast as Saber, the skull still retreated with the speed of a running beast. He slithered across the floor, not slowing down even at corners. Does he have eyes on the back of his head, or is his mask on the back of his head. Assassin steadily retreated from the opponent, maintaining the distance between them.

-A spray of sparks. Three daggers are released without any motion, but have no effect on Saber. Like Lancer, Saber has protection against projectile weapons. Lancer reads the course of the projectile attack using the sound of cutting air and the enemy's murderous intent. Saber uses the cutting air and her own instinct. 'Imperceivable attacks' are not much of a threat against Heroic Spirits. It is those attacks that cannot be blocked, even when detected and understood, that are the fatal ones.

In that regard, Lancer's lance is appropriate to be called a Noble Phantasm. A weapon that always strikes the heart cannot be blocked merely by knowing about it. If one is to oppose that demonic lance, one must prepare a shield overwhelming the magical energy of the lance, have great enough luck to change the fate of the lance, or prevent him from using the lance in the first place.

Compared to that, Assassin's daggers are easy to manage. They can be fatal if they strike any vital points, but they are no different from throwing stones.

"Tch."

Over 40 Darks have been thrown. Having used up his supply of daggers, Assassin stopped.

"Mm-"

Saber stopped as well, hesitating. The enemy that did not want her to come near stopped. There was something, for sure, and an ominous feeling surrounded Assassin. This was no situation where she could step in without care.

"Have you given up, Assassin?"

Saber knew it was best to kill Assassin now, but she took a step back in spite of that. She should not advance. The instincts she had sharpened over the years have kept her alive for a long time. Those instincts were screaming. Do not advance. Stay away from the deep darkness.

"Yes, I have given up Saber. I am out of ammunition. I was ready to be killed in one blow, so why are you not coming any closer?"

"…"

Saber did not answer and raised her sword a bit. She pointed her sword at the enemy. There were seven metres between them. I would take two steps to get close enough to strike. As a swordsman, she must close in on her opponent. But she has a secret technique that can be used at all ranges, though it can only be used once.

Assassin's black cloak fluttered. He did not know where the wind was coming from.

"Hah, so you do not wish to talk to me? Well, talk is voluntary. Let me talk as I wish."

Assassin's voice was strong and clear, in contrast to his appearance. Saber narrowed her eyes, thinking that his voice was similar to Lancer's.

"But how did you repel them? I threw my daggers so that you would not be able to see them. Were you able to perceive them?"

"I could not, but I could read their course. I would not be using this sword of I was afraid of what I could not see."

"Haha. I see. So I was never a match for you. I am an Assassin, after all. I cannot be expected to match other Servants. We are beings that lurk in shadow. There are no Heroic Spirits appropriate for this role."

"What-"

"Therefore, our role is to assassinate. We are failures that only specialize in killing Masters, not Servants. Well, in that regard, there was only one target for me. Do you understand, Saber? All my actions tonight were done to kill your Master."

"-Shirou."

"Exactly. My Master is welcoming your Master. Even though you have separated me from him, he will soon feed Zouken's worms if you do not hurry."

"!"

Light emanated from Saber's sword. Or rather, the golden sword was revealing its true shape.

"Oh! So you were hiding your sword with the curse of the wind. I see, you can attack me with mere air pressure from where you are standing. There is no need for you to step into the land of death."

The black cloak sunk. The prey he was supposed to lure in turned out to have a projectile attack. There was no place for schemes now. If Saber intends to kill Assassin without coming close, then he must close the distance to kill her first.

"Our positions are reversed now, Assassin. Will you step into Invisible Air?"

"What a terrible woman, telling me to jump into a swarm of locusts. Yet a dragon's fury will soon be unleashed…well, this is a dilemma."

The skull mask crawled on the ground. It looked like a spider on a wall. The compressed wind became a swirl of vacuum, ready to be unleashed at Assassin. He must be insane. Does he think he can survive the fatal whirlwind by lying flat on the ground?

"Well, this should be the end no matter what. But let me talk before that. You said that you can beat me one-on-one, is that correct?"

Saber raised her sword. He cannot even withdraw while he was talking. Saber was staring at Assassin. Even if Assassin were to teleport, she would kill him before it even took place.

"That is why you drew him away from your Master. You were correct to protect him from me."

Her sword was raised above her head. With the attack poised to strike, Assassin crawled even lower.

"But did that decision include protecting yourself?"

An inquiring voice. To that…

"-I am in a hurry. Farewell, Assassin."

Saber replied in a single attack.

The match was decided. Unlike the simple, instant but still strong burst of wind used against Kousuke, this windstorm was like a heavenly dragon, its serpentine body winding about to devour its prey. There was no chance of defense or evasion. This is like Lancer's lance. This is a blow that cannot be blocked unless one has more magical energy than the full power of Invisible Air.

Assassin's magical energy is far short of Saber's. The only way for him to survive the attack was to prevent Saber from releasing it. But that is too late, and the whirlwind had been released. His black cloak will be torn to shreds a mere second after the blade descended. The dislocation of death closed in with a swirl. With that in front of him…

"**مع هذه اللعنة، أنا محمية من الرياح**!"

Assassin charged at the wave of vacuum with a yell of delight.

"—Guh…!"

An attack aimed for the neck. Saber repelled in at once, and the black figure vaulted overhead to land behind her.

"You-!"

In a flash, she turned and slashed behind her. But Assassin had already jumped out of her range. At the same time-

"—What?"

The 'ominous presence' she has been feeling has covered the ground beneath her.

"Well. You were unfortunate in two ways, Saber."

The shadow expanded. The mud-like pollution invaded on her silver.

"One is affinity. A curse to ward of storms is a necessity for travelers in the desert. The only magic I know is the warding of wind. And-"

Darkness swallowed the pathway. A shadow that did not reveal itself even in the moonlight. And-

She saw it dimly, through the haze of her fading consciousness.

"Assassin—You—;

"That's right, Saber. The other is that you chose this place as the battlefield. You should have known something ominous inhabited this place."

"Ah—"

She cannot even hear Assassin's words. She would disappear in a matter of seconds. This shadow swallows Servants. Her body detested it before her fading mind.

"Ha-h…AAAAHHHH!"

She did not care how. She had to escape, even if she used up all her prana. Only her feet have been engulfed. If she fought with all her power, she could still break free. Even if she may lose most of her prana and both her feet, escaping this shadow was top priority now. But-

"No. You will disappear here, Saber."

The shadow was not her only enemy. The skull, watching Saber get swallowed, was Death that would finish her off.

"So…from the start!"

"You said you could beat me one-on-one. Yes, that was your mistake. You are alone, but there are two on my side. I merely had to distract you."

The shadow kept invading.

"…! Ah! Guh…hah!"

Her existence rotted from her feet. She could not feel her toes or feet. Her legs were already something that did not exist in this world.

"Servants cannot oppose al-layl, the true night. All the more if you are a proper Heroic Spirit. Even I, one who is close to it, get my prana drained if I touch it. A genuine like you should lose consciousness just by touching it. But that would be a shameful waste. My goal cannot be accomplished if I let you disappear. I shall take your heart."

"What—you will?"

"Is it strange? I have run out of daggers, and I cannot go near the shadow. Do you think it's impossible for me to kill you?"

Murderous intent lighted up the skull. Faint traces of prana gathered in his right arm. Assassin's right arm is a stick. A deformed arm without a hand that cannot be used as an arm. It could not hold a dagger, nor could it be used to strike someone. But now, that arm bends. With the snap of breaking bones, it flapped like a tattered wing.

It was an abomination.

What a long arm.

The clubbed stump at its end was actually the elbow. The arm was folded back at the elbow, with the hand stitched to Assassin's shoulder.

"—"

Saber's mind froze. It would reach. That arm will reach her. It would reach her and rip her heart out. His arm flapped, sending a shudder through her body, and-

The cursed arm was thrust like a lance.

A sound of cutting meat and gushing blood.

Her blood dripped onto the floor, staining the shadow crimson.

"…ki."

Madness leaked out of the skull mask.

The outstretched arm is stained red.

After finishing its job, the arm folded back to Assassin.

"Ki, kikikikikikikiki!"

And is severed at the elbow.

"Y-You! How dare you do that with that dying body of yours!"

"Haa…haa…"

Her upraised sword fell to the ground. Assassin's cursed arm did not reach Saber. Saber's sword had cut the cursed arm before it could gouge out the reflected image of the heart. No matter how cornered she may be, Assassin's Noble Phantasm was not enough to kill Saber.

No. As she has blocked Lancer's lance, which reversed cause and effect, she could not allow herself to be defeated by this cursed arm.

"Ah…guh…"

But that was her last act of resistance. She had put the power to escape into that attack. She has no power to escape now, and even if she did, it would be too late. The ominous presence now emanated from within herself. The shadow had invaded her legs and was now up to her waist. She was becoming part of the darkness, which swallowed up even moonlight. Then…everything was too late.

The shadow crept up. As her vision faded, the silver swordsman…

"I'm sorry…Shirou…"

Managed one last, apologetic gasp before sinking into the deep mud.

XXX

-Shirou-

I was knocked to the ground. And the next thing I knew, Zouken was gone and in his place…was Assassin.

"—"

I'm going to die. Pain on my left hand. My numb mind. My heart accepted the death coming in the next moment and pounded loudly. And I accepted the weapons thrown at my forehead, throat, heart and stomach.

A flash of silver light repelled the weapons. The four daggers that tried to take my life are blocked.

"—"

There's only one person that would do such a thing. My left hand still hurt. My Command Spells were still there. Then-

"Sa-…ber?"

"What?"

Looking up, I saw that my savior was none other than-

"Ri…der?"

"…"

There was no doubt about it. That was definitely Shinji's Servant, Rider. Why was she here, and why did she save me?!

"Are you going to oppose me…!? I don't care! Assassin! Kill her too is she gets in our way!"

The skull answered Zouken's screamed command. The long hair fluttered.

And the fight was on. Knowing how Rider easily lost to Saber, I expected her to be defeated by the hail of daggers thrown by Assassin, but-

"Wha-"

I realized the abnormality after the superiority was made clear. The daggers have not hit her. Not a single one of those dozens of daggers hit their target.

"You-"

A voice came from overhead. Apparently out of knives, Assassin looked down at his enemy with undisguised loathing. There…

…existed one giant serpent.

I couldn't believe it. So many. Rider evaded the countless daggers with pure speed. It was different from when she saved me. Rider avoided all the daggers by crawling on the ground, as if saying there was no need to repel them.

"What are you playing around for, Assassin?! You don't need to go easy just because she's my grandson's Servant! Finish her!"

"I cannot do that…she is different from before."

Assassin stared at Rider while clinging from the ceiling. Rider was different from before. Her magical energy and coercion were on a whole new level. Even if she's still not as strong as Saber, she certainly was stronger that Assassin. Sinking her body even lower, she suddenly jumped up to the ceiling, while Assassin jumped down to the floor, their blades clashing in midair.

"Kii!"

They landed facing away from each other. Rider was unharmed, but in contrast, Rider's dagger was piercing Assassin's shoulder.

"I can't pull it out?!"

Assassin attempted to pull out the dagger, but with a clinking of chain links-

'W—Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"

Rider hurled Assassin through the air!

"Gah-gii-"

The skull mask let out a scream of anguish. Not saying a word, Rider continued mercilessly swinging Assassin about the room. It was just like a flail. Unable to do anything, Assassin was smashed against every surface in the room, his limbs bending in all directions.

"Whoa!"

I ducked to avoid Assassin coming in like a whirlwind. This isn't just on a level of being strong. After flailing Assassin to her content, she used the centrifugal force and let go. It was just like a hammer throw. Assassin, his bones broken, was thrown into a wall head-first.

"Gah!"

He flew away. Like a piece of lifeless trash, the masked Servant was thrown through the wall, out of the compound and over the wall, leaving trails of blood wherever he struck.

"Oh…wow."

How brutal. I'm sure Servants weren't as weak as too die from that, but he should be unable to continue fighting, at the very least.

"…Fool."

Zouken's presence disappeared. He must think he was at a disadvantage, since he fled after snarling a curse at Rider. All the worms within the shrine followed him out as well.

-Shrine Hallway-

"…"

I understood right away that this was the place. The corridor was silent. The whole place was destroyed as if a storm passed by. In it…was a small red stain on the only part of the ground that hadn't been destroyed. I couldn't tell whose blood it was. But, my legs lost strength the instant I saw it, and I crumpled to my knees.

"…"

I reached out and touched it. The blood was dry, and didn't stick to my fingers. The only thing the stain told me was that she disappeared here.

"_My role is to protect you, Shirou._"

How many times did I hear that line? Those words were a comfort and a source of worry. She only cared about me, and never said anything about protecting herself.

"…"

I scratched at the mark. Saber fought here and fell here. That's what happens in battle. I knew before I made a contract with her that this would be a battle to the death. I accepted the fact and took her hand, and she merely answered me.

"Saber…"

The girl who protected me, even though she was smaller than me. When I told her I wanted to put priority on the black shadow over the Holy Grail, she simple nodded, ignoring the premonitions of her end. And this was the result. I lost her, lost my rights as a Master, and am back to being an amateur. I am now alone, with no means of fighting…

…I have to carry through with what I have to do.

"—Then I have to go."

I slowly rubbed the bloodstain one more time. That's it. I didn't bow or thank her, and let my fingers go. Pain assailed my left hand, and it disappeared. The moment I acknowledged her death and said goodbye, the Command Spell on my left hand disappeared without a trace. One does not just lose the Command Spell because one has lost his Servant. It only disappears when a magus loses his right to be a Master.

"I see. So I…"

I don't know what happened here tonight, but there is only one certainty. I lost Saber…and lost my rights…to be a Master…

* * *

And here we go, the end of this chapter! Thank god that's over. Now that we finally got Saber's defeat over, we can move onto the more 'interesting' stuff. That aside, I decided to drop the ninja abilities of Kousuke. Not that he doesn't have them anymore, but he's not going to use them for the rest of the fic anymore. Thinking of him learning those skills as…an interest, a hobby. Anyway thanks for reading, reviewing, favoriting, following, and hopefully, I'll be able to finish the next chapter by the end of this week! Or…next week…or next next week. I'm gonna be really busy these few days. Busy with my PSP. CCC isn't going to clear itself you know!


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